If Only
by myfailsafe
Summary: AU. Naruto catches pneumonia, and is blessed with Sasuke being his doctor. Instantly being attracted to the stoic man, Naruto plays hooky to continue to see him. But some things don’t always work as you plan. SasuNaru
1. No More Apples

(Things are subject to _**change by the chapter**_. Keep an eye on the warnings and rating.)  
**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru  
**Rating**: T – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: Foul language  
**Summary**: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, and what come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?  
**Authors Notes**: This idea popped into my head while I was falling asleep and wondering about my fate in October with going to see a new doctor. Somehow, our favorite broody Uchiha, and hyper blonde prankster that goes by the name of Uzumaki Naruto got into my mixture of weird and compulsive thoughts. Thus, here we are, with another fanfiction that I can stress over completing.

I type blonde instead of blond… adjust please.

Also. No Japanese terms, words, and sayings in this fiction. I'm tired of butchering it in my other fictions and I just can't do it in this one. No suffix's guys. Sasuke is just going to be a bastard, and Naruto is just going to be a loser, and you as a reader will have to adjust.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own Naruto, I just dream too much and too big.

**Dedication**: To Charli, whom I can't thank enough.

**Chapter 1** – **No More Apples**

* * *

A blonde male, around the age of twenty-five, had his head lazily rested on the counter that was in the middle of a low class department store. His light blue button up shirt was damp with sweat, his tie had been pull loose at the feeling of constriction, and his shoes had been kicked off because he was just plain uncomfortable.

The male raised his arms and folded them over his head that was full of bright golden blonde hair, and he hugged his head, hoping to equalize the pressure that had built up.  
A series of harsh, barking, and horse coughs erupted from the blonde's throat, causing him to stand and clutch at his sore chest and pounding head.

His bright and vivid cerulean blue eyes were bloodshot and watery. His cheeks were flushed bright red and dark circles were under his eyes. His nose had began to run an hour prior and he was about to lose his mind if all of this didn't stop; and soon.

A perky, and tired looking female started walking towards the blonde male; her bubble gum pink pony-tail pouncing on her back in her wake.  
She stood on the other side of the blonde's counter and leaned forward while setting down her energy drink, her low cut top showing more cleavage then she most likely, the rather pale blonde assumed, had meant to show.

"Naruto, you need to go home." The girl propped her head up on her palm that was supported by her elbow and glared emerald eyes at him.

Naruto sniffled and then coughed violently, "I can't! Rent-" Naruto sneezed and then grabbed a paper towel and wiped at his nose, "and college, Sakura." Naruto usually had a rather upbeat and light voice, but today, it was hoarse and fading.

"As your manager, and one of your best friends, I order you to go to a doctor and then go home to rest. Naruto, I can pull some strings and get you pay on a sick day." Sakura looked down and dumbly fixed her golden name badge and her white blouse.

"I can't put you in a position like that-" Naruto began coughing so hard at this point, he had to sit on the ground behind his counter in the domestics and house wares department in the far end of the store.

Sakura then quickly walked around to Naruto and crouched down next to Naruto shaking her head, "whatever happened to the old saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away.'"

"You know as well as I do that I do _not_ eat apples." Naruto sat clutching his chest.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples, "I'm going to page Hinata and she's going to take you to the doctor I go to; they're really great. Kiba can watch her department while you two are gone. Then you two are going to go back to the townhouse and you are going to lie down. If you don't…I'll simply fire your ass."

Sakura stood up, her black high heeled shoes shuffling against the carpeted floor as she lifted the phone to punch in managerial numbers that would allow her to use the loud speaker to page a fellow employee.

Suddenly a loud beep came over the loud speaker and Sakura quickly cleared her throat, "Hinata Hyuuga, please report to the domestics section. Thank you."

Sakura looked down at Naruto and sighed, she reached her hand out, "come on, you have to stand up and put your shoes on."

Naruto looked up at her and groaned, but grabbed her hand and was pulled to his feet. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, another girl around the same age came into view. Her long black velvet hair hung freely, and her light gray eyes stuck out against her porcelain skin, and sadly, because Naruto was Naruto, he watched how her large breasts would bounce ever-so-slightly as she walked.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Hinata's voice was very soft and light, and could relax anyone at anytime.

"I need you to do me a big favor. I need you to take Naruto to the doctors. I think he might have the flu or pneumonia. I would take him myself but I have to start setting up for inventory next week." Sakura was tightening Naruto's tie when both Hinata and Naruto let out small groans at the sound of inventory.

Hinata nodded her head, "I can do that, should I take him to Lifeline Family Medicine?" Hinata walked around and moved Sakura out of the way, taking Naruto's tie off completely, which earned a sigh of relief.

"Please, they are the best in town." Sakura bent down and handed Hinata Naruto's shoes. "I'll clock you two out and then call the doctors office and tell them you two are coming. Take care of him when he gets home Hinata, you know more about this shit then I do." Sakura took down her hair only to put it right back up as a nervous habit.

* * *

A young adult, male, was going over medical papers at a large desk in a rather blank office. The only decoration that was noticeable was the many diplomas and trophies that littered the walls and book shelves. His raven, black-blue bangs kept falling in his face, which would earn a tiny growl from the man.

His charcoal eyes scanned one paper after another, making small notes here and there, and flipping to the next page. He ran a hand up the back of his hair that had a since of style of sticking a fork in an electrical socket or, as his brother lovingly said that morning, 'a duck attempting to take a shit'.

A knock came to his wide open office door, "come in." His voice was deep but distant as he concentrated on his work.

"Dr.Uchiha, you have a squeeze in patient coming in, it sounds like pneumonia." The girl flipped her long hair playfully and flirtatiously.

"Thank you, Karin, how long until they arrive?" He simply flipped over another paper.

"I give them five to ten minutes in the lobby because of the paperwork, Sasuke." She sounded disappointed as the man ignored her. With that she walked back to the receptionist desk.

Sasuke turned his head to see that the woman was no longer there, and sighed. He leaned back into his black leather seat and put his head back for a fraction of a second before he got up; grabbing a white coat with a name embroidered into the right breast and threw it on.

* * *

Hinata sat with a clipboard on her lap, going over Naruto's information in her head and filling out the packet to be turned back in for new patients. Naruto sat next to Hinata coughing loudly into his sleeve while other patients in the small office waiting room looked at him indignantly for the loud interruption in their quite day.

Hinata reached over absentmindedly and rubbed Naruto's back. The door towards their right opened just as Hinata handed over the pen to Naruto to sign on the bottom line assuring the doctors that the information was correct to the best of his knowledge.

The receptionist smiled brightly and called, "Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto stood with Hinata fallowing, rubbing his back soothingly and gently towards the smiling lady who ask them both to fallow her. The woman took his temperature as he sat in a cushioned chair right inside the door that read 103 degrees, and then weighed him, and that came in at 167 pounds that was toned and muscle. The woman then proceeded to take his pulse, oxygen level, and blood pressure while making polite conversation with Hinata.

Naruto coughed harshly once and grabbed at his head with a long groan, "my vision is all blurry and I feel really dizzy."

"Alright Mr. Uzumaki, fallow me and we will put you in your room." Karin jotted down what Naruto had said, then grabbed a sheet of papers that had all of Naruto's information on it and began walking around the maze of rooms.

Hinata supported Naruto as they walked by opened doors with babies wailing, people groaning, people coughing and sneezing, kids crying, and just all around sick people.  
Finally the woman stopped in front of an opened door and slid the paper into the slot next to the door and smiled politely, "the doctor will be with you in a moment. If you could just take off you shirt please and put on that paper gown with it opened in the front."

With that, Karin was off to take care of another patient while the nurse took her smoke break unexpectedly. Naruto wobbled over to the padded table that had a folded paper gown on it. He quickly stripped out of his shirt that was grabbed by Hinata before it was dropped on the ground.

Naruto flopped half-heartedly onto the table with his legs hanging off while he tried to drift off into sleep, but with the uncomfortable-ness of the pneumonia, it was relatively impossible, and he just laid there with his eyes closed. Hinata sat politely in a chair in the corner in the white room only decorated with a computer and cabinets filled with medical needs.

A light knock came to the door before the door opened to a bored looking doctor.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Sasuke Uchiha," he extended his hand in pure habit and politeness to Hinata who smiled and shook his hand back.

Sasuke looked down at the sheet of paper and then looked at the patients' table, "and that must be Mr. Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke walked over to Naruto and looked down at him, blocking the light that seemed to be blinding to Naruto's eyes, "Mr. Uzumaki, do you think you could sit up for a moment so I could listen to your lungs?"

Naruto had had his arm slung over his eyes to try and block as much light out as possible. He slid the arm off and opened his eyes slowly reveling breath taking blue eyes to Sasuke, who smirked at him as Naruto, instead of groaned, gasped lightly.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and pushed him gently up by the middle of his back while Naruto groaned more.

"Alright Mr.Uzumaki, would you tell me what's bothering you today?" Sasuke reached in the pocket of his white coat and pulled out a stethoscope and slung it around his neck while he walked over to the computer to type in the information.

Naruto went to talk, and began coughing violently.

"Well, Mr.Uzumaki's, girlfriend, do you think you could tell me if you would, please?"

"I'm not his girlfriend." Hinata blushed a deep red.

"I apologize, his sister?"

"No, just a friend. He has been coughing since last night, but it got rather b-bad this morning. He a-also started sneezing. He's been complaining of dizziness and chest pain. H-he goes through hot and cold spells, a-and he cannot get comfortable. H-he only got about an hour of s-sleep last night." Hinata's blushed deepened.

Sasuke looked over at Naruto while the blonde was rubbing his eyes trying to adjust his vision still.

Sasuke stood from his seat and walked over to the blonde and put the stethoscope and whispered, "this might be a little cold."

Naruto jumped a little as the cold metal pressed against his chest.

"Deep breath in and out twice, please." Sasuke move the stethoscope over towards the left side of Naruto's chest.

Naruto took a deep breath in and blew out which caused a series of violent coughs, causing the blondes head and chest to throb.

Sasuke put the stethoscope away quickly and walked back to his rolling stool.

"Its pneumonia, but we are catching it before it got too bad. What we are going to do is give you antibiotics and cough medication, and I also want you to take Tylenol every 4  
hours till the fever is gone. Miss, do you live with Naruto?" Sasuke pulled out a stack of prescription slips and began writing out prescriptions.

"Y-yes."

"I need you to make sure he drinks _plenty_ of liquids. He _can't_ have anything with caffeine because caffeine dehydrates you. So juice and water are what we are aiming for."

Sasuke handed over the two prescriptions with a light smile.

"If he gets worse, take him to the hospital."

"Thank you."

Hinata and Sasuke shook hands and Sasuke walked over to Naruto and looked into Naruto's eyes with a smile as he shook the man's hand, "remember to take your antibiotics and drink your fluids."

Sasuke walked out of the room flashing a light smile to the pair while Naruto tried and smiled back, which came out to look like a grimace. Sasuke shut the door behind him, and once he was leaning on the heavy wooden door, and then smile was wiped clean from his face and replaced with a more flustered look.

"What's wrong, brother?" A baritone voice shook Sasuke from going into a daze.

Sasuke looked at his brother. He had the same night sky eyes, raven colored hair, and cocky attitude. His older brother's hair was long and traveled down his back, and was tamed simply by a hair tie. His brother's bangs hung in his face just like his own. They loved to hate each other. They were your typical brothers that owned their own medical practice.

Sasuke huffed and ran a hand through his hair, "nothing is wrong, Itachi."

Sasuke pushed off the door and proceeded to walk through the maze of a doctor's office to find his personal office to file some reports.

"I know when something is wrong, little brother."

"Seriously, nothing is wrong!" The younger raven haired brother slammed his office door in his older brother's face.

Sasuke sighed as he simply mumbled under his breath, "I just can't believe how beautiful his eyes were."

"I heard that." Itachi's voice drawled out and leaked through the door, and Sasuke simply kicked it as hard as possible.

* * *

Hinata had dropped Naruto back off at the townhouse, she had let him change into a pair of basketball shorts while she retrieved a glass of water. She tucked him in and then proceeded to tell him, "Naruto, I'm going to go fill your prescriptions at CVS and get you some juice."

Naruto curled up under the blankets while his TV was clicked on by Hinata, and Naruto's favorite television show was blaring in the background. It was a show called Ninja Warrior where people had to be put through a series of physically challenging obstacles, and when they fell, Naruto couldn't help but find it hilarious; but right now it was nowhere near funny.

Naruto was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. He wanted to watch the television, but his vision was still blurry. He wanted to get up and do something, but his body felt weak and tired. He was miserable, but he couldn't get one thing out of his mind, "damn, he had a nice smile."

Naruto rolled over for the twelfth time in about thirty minutes to try and get comfortable and threw his arm over his eyes to try and block the light out of his vision.

* * *

After a week, a now back to tan Naruto had finally returned to work in tip-top shape. He had his goofy smile back on his face, and he was back to being the regularly chatty sales man that he was.

Naruto went on his lunch the same time Sakura had so he could actually talk to the woman, considering she was pulling a couple extra hours since Naruto had gotten sick.  
Naruto and Sakura sat down in the food court of the local mall and smiled at each other.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, I never heard how the doctors went." Sakura smiled as she started pouring a pouch of ranch dressing over a salad.

"It obviously went well, I'm alive." Naruto bit into his pizza and scooted away slightly as Sakura glared.

"Hinata said you were mumbling something about a 'pretty smile' in your sleep when she came to give you your aspirin."

Naruto choked on his pizza and began coughing while Sakura slumped him on his back while Naruto gulped down his soda.

"Chew your damn food!" Sakura went back to her salad.

* * *

Two weeks past by, and Naruto couldn't stop thinking about his doctor with the 'pretty smile' and how he just wanted to see him once more after meeting him just once by chance, but with not being sick; Naruto saw no possibility of seeing him once again. He knew he couldn't walk in the doctor's office and ask to just simply see Dr. Sasuke Uchiha considering it would be quite odd.

He had no clue if the doctor was bisexual, like himself, or gay. He had been trying to come up with excuses all day long at work while he was working his once monthly Saturday double. He needed a fallow up three weeks after his first appointment? Too long awaited.

The pneumonia might be coming back? He had no symptoms. He could always give himself a concussion by dropping a blender on his head. Too painful. Naruto blinked suddenly. He might be on to something. He could fake something or pretend getting hurt and _request_ to see him because he was 'comfortable' with him.

"Is that stalker-ish?" Naruto was mumbling to himself as he was asked, or more ordered grumpily, by Sakura to restock the shelves.

"I just want to see him one more time, nothing else. It's not like I'm fallowing him home. So it's not so bad." Naruto half-heartedly put boxes full of coffee pots on the shelves where the cooking wear belonged.

* * *

Sasuke sat in his office typing away reports on his computer after finishing with his tenth patient of the day who had a rash that still had the raven gagging at random points. Sasuke kept switching his screen to the blonde's folder, trying to see his medical history.

Sasuke didn't see it as being a stalker, only as looking out for the mans health, and seeing if he was unhealthy and leading him back to the office. The younger Uchiha discovered that his medical records were all the way across the nation, and other than that, the only thing he had on file was coming in for pneumonia. Sasuke frowned. He did find out that they were around the same age, but Sasuke was a couple months older.

Naruto was from the other side of the country and he had no clue why he had moved here.

"You must _really_ like his eyes, little brother." Itachi said over Sasuke's shoulder.

The younger of the two jumped a good two inches out of his chair and hurriedly clicked out of the screen and whipped his chair around with a scowl on his face.

"And what, pray tell, do you want?" Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Your 'eye man' scheduled an appointment for tomorrow at noon, and he requested you."

Sasuke blinked more than usual while Itachi turned on his heel, "let that soak in and enjoy that."

Tomorrow at noon.

* * *

Author's Note's (End): Rough start, I know, but please… be kind. **Review Please.**


	2. Awkward Moments and Freak Outs

**Chapter 2**- Awkward Moments and Freak Outs

(Remember… the warning might move up depending on how the story will move along. Keep an eye on it.)  
Title: If Only  
Author: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
Pairings: Sasu/Naru  
Rating: T – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: Foul language and – again – Suggestive Gay-ness, _and_ also a doctor's visit that consists of a males physical, which consists of a male touching another's male's genitals. So if you aren't comfortable with this, you shouldn't read it, and then give me crap for your mistake.  
Summary: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, and what will come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?

**Important ****Authors Note**: I'm looking for a new BETA. If anyone is interested, e-mail me or send me a PM. That does mean this chapter is non-beta-ed and stuff. So sorry.

**Disclaimer**- I don't own … blah blah blah. We've all read these things a hundred times.

**Dedication**s- To the people who reviewed.

**Chapter 2**- Awkward Moments and Freak Outs

* * *

Naruto was standing behind the counter in his department, staring at an elderly couple as they approached him with an arm full of towels. The blonde couldn't help but grit his teeth as he noticed all the towels they had unfolded in order to get to the ones they desired, and now he had to go and re-fold the large pile of out of place towels.

Naruto scanned the towels and made mindless chit-chat about absolutely nothing with the old couple while he checked them out. His mind was on the doctor's appointment he had arranged around his lunch break. Sacrificing his food for a glimpse at the doctor was considered the oddest thing in the history of the blonde's life when all he did most of the time was eat, and eat, work, eat, eat some more and hang out with his friends while eating.

Naruto folded the towels as slowly as possible trying to waste as much time as he could. When he went back to his register to check the time it turned out that he had only wasted three minutes. Naruto huffed and stomped his foot in frustration and immaturity.

He still had three hours until his doctor's appointment and now he was full of anxiety and jitters. He kept trying to get rid of the sinking feeling in the middle of his chest, and how his legs just wanted to keep moving. He kept looking at the clock on his register every five minutes praying it was thirty of forty-five.

The blonde finally set his head down on the counter and wrapped his arms around his head, hoping that maybe the clock was playing a trick on him and when he would look up, it would be time to go.  
Out of nowhere, Naruto felt a tap on the head, and almost jumped out of his skin and about ten feet high into the air.

The blonde snapped to attention as if he was in boot camp, snapping his legs and arms tight together and to his body, "I apologize, how may I help…oh shit." Naruto's voice dropped.

Sakura was standing in front of Naruto with her arms crossed in front of her chest, tapping her left foot, and glaring with all her might. If there could be a sign that said danger on it anywhere in that department store right now; it would be over Sakura's head.

Sakura leaned onto Naruto's counter top with a forced smile, "come here," she strained through gritted teeth as she waved her index finger towards herself.

Naruto shook his head in pure fright, because he knew Sakura was in work overdrive today, and what he had just done was pure sin.

She simply repeated herself through her still gritted teeth, "come…here."

Naruto gulped and leaned down, and before he realized it, Sakura had latched on to the front of his black button up shirt and pulled him down.

Naruto could have sworn she was going to breath fire any second and burn his face off seeing as they were about four inches apart, "Naruto Uzumaki, don't fucking waste my time, or our companies time. If you don't feel good or you're just too fucking tired; then go home."

She flashed a smile that Naruto took as an 'I dare you' warning. "If you're hungry, go take fifteen and run your skinny ass to the food court and eat. I _can't_ take anymore falls for you."

Naruto gulped loudly and nodded. Sakura released her death grip on his shirt with a forced smile on her face, "and if you would please fold and re-stock the towels, and please re-organize the comforters. The latter is in the stock room."

She walked off while The blonde gaped at her with his arms out to his sides asking 'why'.

Re-stocking and refolding the towels took no time at all. He even took a break to pelt a towel at a careless co-worker who wondered into his department to ask him a location of a product. Re-organizing the comforters was another task at hand.

The comforters lined the wall in the far left corner of the store from the top to the very bottom; covering about forty-five feet of wall space across. They were in rows that showed the brand, size, and package type. Naruto stood on the latter shoving them into the compartment on the top of the row that held five of the same type of fluffy and hard to handle comforters.

Naruto climbed down the latter and stepped back to examine his work.

"Good. If you wouldn't have done a good job, I would have made you clean the bathroom." Sakura had appeared out of nowhere, looked down at her clipboard and tapped it with her pin.

"What!?" Naruto put his hands on his hips and gave her a confused look, "we have a janitor, Sakura."

"I can give her an early lunch break, Naruto." She ruffled his hair and began to walk off but turned around,

"Hinata and I were planning to take our lunch together; you in?"

Naruto dashed to his register and checked the time and at the sight at the time took a relieving breath.

"I can't, Sakura, I'm taking my break around noon." Naruto started to put his tie back on that he had stripped off angrily while shoving a rather fat comforter in its spot.

Sakura walked up and helped a flustered Naruto put on his tie, "why are you taking your lunch around noon?

You sound like you have plans?" Sakura blinked, "This is your best tie! Who are you going to go meet?" She glared with a malicious smirk.

"No one, Sakura!" Naruto flushed a bright color red.

* * *

Sasuke sat in his office, twirling his pen in his fingers. There was only thirty minutes till the appointment with Naruto, and he still wasn't sure what he was going to do. Well, he knew he was going to be the blondes' doctor and go about a regular appointment as if it was any regular average Joe, but then he kept accidentally reminding himself that Naruto was different.

Sasuke's forehead connected with his desk as he groaned with the feeling of anxiety.

"Well, brother, who would have thought you would have been beating yourself up over this man already?"  
Itachi's silky smooth voice crept through the air to Sasuke's ear, making him jump – again.

The younger raven whipped around in his chair and glared at his brother who was standing in the doorway of his office, leaning against the door frame, "I'm not beating myself up over him, Itachi, and if I was; it's not any of your business."

Itachi pulled out papers from behind his back, "he works at Last Stop, that bottom end department store." Itachi was scanning the papers.

"Aren't those supposed to be filed away?" Sasuke suppressed the urged to rip them from his brothers' hands and read away.

"Yes, but seeing as you like this man so much, and this is my practice, I borrowed them." Itachi continued to scan the papers, "well, I'll just hold on to these until I feel the urge to put them back." He waved them in the air and then walked off casually, leaving Sasuke wanting to run after him to tackle him to the ground.

Sasuke put on his white coat with his name embroidered in the right breast area, and then began flattening and patting and wetting his hair only to hope that it looked semi-normal, and didn't look horrible. By the time he was finally done getting ready, it was about time for Naruto's appointment.

Sasuke walked out to where the three nurses sat, and asked them if his new patient had arrived yet, and they all shook there head with a confused look on their faces.

* * *

Naruto sat in Sakura's car, which he had begged on his knees in the break room to let him use because it had air conditioning, which came to use in horrible traffic. The down fall about Sakura's car, was that it didn't have a radio so Naruto couldn't find out the reason for the traffic.

He was sure he was going to be late for his doctor's appointment, and considering with only fifteen minutes to get to the doctor's office, he had to think of something to do. He could always call and say he would be late because he was stuck in traffic.

'Is that being too desperate just to get one more glance?' Naruto thought.

Then again if he were to get to the doctor's appointment late, and then get back to work late, he knew his job would be on the line.

Naruto stuck his upper body out the car window and he couldn't see an end to the traffic at all, and realized that a lot of people were looking out of their windows to see if they could see an end to the traffic.

The blonde climbed back in to the car and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he thought of some way to make it all work. He thought while horns blared. He thought harder as he heard people shout at one another from their cars. He kept trying to think of anything to just make this all work out.

Naruto let his head drop on the steering wheel as he realized he couldn't come up with anything, and the harder he thought, the harder it was to come up with a plan because then he would just focus more on the mental image of the hansom doctor.

The blonde finally raised his head to see an exit sign over his head and a light bulb clicked on. He didn't have to take the highway; he could always take the back roads. Naruto's perky attitude suddenly drained away. If he took the back roads he would have to drive twice as fast.

The blonde sat in a slouched position for a minute or two until a car sped by him down the median and finally got to the exit and Naruto grinned a foxy grin when another idea poked at his head.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting at his desk twirling his pen while waiting for his next patient. He didn't get why that blonde guy didn't show up, but he kept juggling his name in his mind as if testing it to see if he liked it.

He was scared to say it out loud, because ever since he had read his name on his file he had been wanting to say the blonde's name, to see if it felt right to come from his mouth. The raven suddenly stopped twirling his pen and slowly turned his head around with a bit of a glare, as if expecting Itachi to magically pop up at such a moment.

He turned his head to his left, then right, left, left, and right once more. Once he dubbed the coast clear, he whispered 'Naruto Uzumaki' with the slight realization that it brought a smile to his face.

"Now you're whispering his name?" Itachi was leaning casually in the door way and

Sasuke's head immediately connected with his desk. He was sure, at this point in time, that his brother could read his mind; and when it read 'Naruto' he came running for a torture session.

"At first I only thought you liked his eyes, but now you're whispering his names for what? In hopes he'll hear it and come to the appointment that he is almost late for? My dear little brother, I'm pretty sure someone has eyes just like him that you can find else where." Itachi was looking at his fingernails for no apparent reason while

Sasuke was slowly trying to give himself a concussion.

"Dear brother, you of all people should know that you cannot date a patient." Itachi went a little heavy lidded and glazed over while remembering an old memory.

"Itachi, I'm not in love with him for crying out loud. I like his eyes. I think he is attractive and nothing more." The younger raven turned around to glare at his brother with his arms crossed in front of his chest, but the younger of the two wasn't all that scary with a giant red bump now visible on his forehead.

"Pardon me, Mr. Uchiha…" Karin was behind Itachi trying to get into Sasuke's office to talk to him about something.

"Karin, this is no time to flirt." Itachi's voice was suddenly stern.

"I'm not trying to flirt, Mr. Uchiha." Karin's tone went from light and airy to irritated, "Sasuke, that patient, Naruto Uzumaki… he's here finally."

Karin left as quickly as she came to finish checking the patients into the system.

"Well brother, now you can say his name out loud _and_ to him without a worry. Plus you can look over his body as much as you want." Itachi chuckled as Sasuke shoved by him with a scowl.

* * *

Naruto suddenly cut over to the median and slammed down onto the gas pedal, pushing his finger on the button to have the windows roll down, and then shut off the air conditioning so the car wouldn't drag(1). He flew down the off ramp of his exit and onto the back roads towards the doctor's office.

It went from a fifteen minute trip on the highway, to a thirty minute trip on the back roads, but as Naruto's foot pressed harder on the gas pedal; he didn't worry about it. The only thing he was worried about was police officers popping up randomly, his horribly reckless driving with his switching lanes while coming within a foot of a car and doubling the speed limit.

The wind was making the blonde's eyes water, and his hair was becoming more untamed then usual, while his tie was flapping out the window in his speedy wake with it still attached to his neck. The blonde was not going to slow down if it was close to killing him. Naruto went through four yellow lights, rolled through seven stops signs, and slammed on the horn a good fifteen times.

He whipped the tiny car into the doctor's office parking lot and practically ripped the seat belt off while momentarily getting tangled up. When Naruto went to get out of the car, he immediately tripped and fumbled, but didn't fall; and ran straight for the office that was in sight.

He sprinted across the parking lot and almost got backed into by a Suburban, but he didn't stop. Naruto burst through the double doors of the office looking more frazzled than he ever did in his entire life. His hair was more of a mess then it had _ever_ been and he had the look of a mad scientist.

His tie was turned to the side and flipped over his shoulder and his shirt managed to come un-tucked partly. He was out of breath and still a bit panicked considering everyone was looking at him with shocked looks on their faces, but Naruto regained his poise; or whatever poise he had before.

Naruto walked up to the desk, his shirt still un-tucked, and his hair still a mess with his tie still askew.

"I have an appointment, Naruto Uzumaki; it's at noon."

Karin looked at the blonde as if he had a horn growing out of the middle of his forehead, "Y- Yes, take a seat and we'll call you back shortly…"

Naruto nodded, and walked towards the empty corner of the waiting room and began properly putting himself back together. He patted his hair down with a few grunts, and straightened his tie with a laugh, and tucked his shirt in while hopping around on one foot with his tongue poking out of his month.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" His name was called from the other side of the room by, someone who was obviously a male, but the blonde couldn't see yet if it was the doctor he had been waiting to get one more glimpse of yet.

Naruto took a deep breath and smoothed out the last of his unsightly wrinkles before walking smoothly around the corner only to have his bright smile fall into a glum frown at the realization that it was not the same doctor.

The doctor had similar features – hair and eye color, but he was taller and had much longer hair.

He reached a hand out and smiled, "I'm Dr. Itachi Uchiha, I'm just going to get your vitals and then we'll put you in a room for your doctor to see you. Would you step on the scale please?"

Naruto's heart instantly soared and the smile immediately came right back on his face.

* * *

Itachi walked to catch up with his brother, "I think I should take his vitals brother."

"Why? I'm perfectly capable of taking weight, blood pressure, and a pulse." Sasuke stopped in the middle of a small and slender hallway that would lead out to the waiting room.

"I know, but right now I think that maybe you want to get your thoughts together and your composure."

Sasuke actually growled at Itachi before huffing off down the hallway towards the waiting room. Itachi reached a hand out and put it on his brothers' shoulder to stop him from practically running down the hall.

"Go to your office and I'll get you when he's in his room. You need to calm down. Plus I want to see how pretty his eyes really are." Itachi flicked his wrist jokingly, which earned another growl from the younger sibling.

"Just calm down a bit brother!" Itachi called down the hallway.

"Fuck you!" The younger raven yelled back as he turned into his office.

Sasuke dug his fingers in his hair and pulled, now giving himself the look of a mad doctor. He went to the sink in the corner of his office and started slicking down his hair again with deep breaths and calming words of the demise of his brother.

Once his hair was back in place, which took all but five seconds, and he started pacing the room.  
All he wanted to do was walk into the patient's room, take one good look, and then let his brother take over. No chit chat, no awkward moments, and _no_ having the urge to see him again.

At that moment, Itachi walked in, carrying Naruto's chart and a smirk on his lips, "I can see why you like his eyes  
so much little brother, and he's charming."

The raven growled and snatched the chart that Itachi was passing to him, and stormed out of his office. He stormed down the hall about five steps before realizing he would finally be seeing his patient one last time, and he stopped being so angry with his annoying brother, but instead let his jitters over take him once more.

He walked calmly down the small hallway trying to collect his thoughts, and before he realized it, he was standing in front of the door to the blue eyed mans' room.

The raven haired man took a small calming breath a knocked a few times before finally stepping in to the room.  
Naruto was sitting on the padded table while he was fiddling with his tie, but he snapped his head up at the sudden intrusion, and grinned.

Sasuke reached his hand out for the usual hand shake, "I'm Dr. Uchiha."

"Another one? I-I mean, Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto gave a goofy grin while he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, while he smiled on the inside of initiating a conversation.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha; I believe you met my brother, Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke smirked at the thought of sliding his name over his brothers'.

Naruto nodded, and both men finally realized they were still shaking hands, and snapped their hands back as if they were both burned. Sasuke smiled, and Naruto laughed; the awkwardness nearly forgotten.

Sasuke looked at Naruto's file, and quirked a brow, "so what seems to have brought you here today?" Then looked up at Naruto with another broad smile.

Naruto almost forgot to talk as he admired the man's smile, but quickly caught himself, "I just wanted a check up. It's been years since I've had one, and after the pneumonia incident, I thought it might be a good idea to get one now. So since you were the one who got rid of the pneumonia, I decided to call and ask for the doctor I had last time; hope that's fine." Naruto shrugged.

"I was doing my job, Mr. Uzumaki, if I hadn't gotten rid of the pneumonia I would have taken a steep pay cut."

"Why's that?" Naruto furrowed his brow.

"Well, people can die from that." Sasuke stated flatly.

Naruto simply made an 'o' shape with his mouth; while Sasuke stared at him without meaning too.

Sasuke slightly shook his head and then looked at his chart, "well, I'm just going to ask you some questions, and then we'll do the run around." Sasuke nodded once, and Naruto nodded back.

"Do you smoke?"

Naruto made a gagging noise that made the raven haired man chuckle and then the blonde simply replied, "no."

"Any drug use, or a past history of drug use?" Sasuke was going down a check list.

"Hell no. I-I mean, no." The blue eyed man rubbed the back of his neck again.

"It's fine. I can't say things like that, again; steep pay cut. You can say things like that all you want." Sasuke looked up at him with an amused look on his face.

Naruto had to test, "Shit. Ass. Fuck. Douche bag. Waffle. "

Sasuke cocked his eyebrow and let out a hardly laugh, but went back to the check list while shaking his head,

"Drinking? Any at all?"

"I drink water, soda, milk…" Naruto grinned like an idiot, "Sorry, no, I don't drink."

"Do you wear your seat belt?"

"What?" Naruto had become confused.

"It's on the list."

"Oh, yes. I get tangled up in it constantly." Naruto laughed at himself.

The questions went on like this for a good ten minutes more, till Sasuke finally set his check list and pen down and picked up his stethoscope and a pair of rubber gloves.

"Do you want me to do the top part first or the bottom part first." Sasuke began putting on his rubber gloves.

"Do who-what now?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows once more.

"I have to check you for hernias."(2)

"How." Naruto's voice dropped two octaves.

"Well," Sasuke chuckled, "I hold your testicles, and you cough for me."

"Not a funny joke." Naruto's tone was dead flat.

"I'm not joking." As was Sasuke's.

Naruto tugged at his tie, and then blushed, "well, we might as well get the embarrassment over with as quickly as possible."

Naruto stood up and unbuttoned his pants, unzipped, and dropped them to the floor. He then sighed, and pulled down his bright orange boxers that Sasuke squinted at, "I couldn't do your job."

The midnight eyed man chuckled, "I feel that way sometimes. Now when I cup your testicles, I need you to turn your head to the left and cough."

Naruto sighed, and felt the doctor cup his balls, now feeling as if his idea was the worst in history; but he still turned his head and coughed.

"Good, now to the right."

The blonde did as he was told, and as soon as he coughed, Sasuke moved his hand away and wrote things down on Naruto's chart, "no hernias."

Naruto was buttoning his pants and smiled, "I'm really glad I don't have to get my prostate checked."

"Che. I am too."

Naruto openly laughed, and sat back on the padded table with a relieved sigh.  
Sasuke took his stethoscope from around his neck, placed the plug in his ears, and walked over to Naruto; whom he needed to listen to his breathing.

"Deep breath in and out." Sasuke placed the other end on a certain place on Naruto's back, and Naruto took his breath in and out.

Sasuke moved the stethoscope to different places with Naruto continuing to take deep breaths in and out until he became light headed, and then Sasuke finally told him to breathe normally.

After a few seconds later, the raven pulled away, and smirked, "you have perfect health. I'm actually blown away by you getting pneumonia now. Your lungs sound perfect."

Naruto grinned and wiggled his brows, "perfection has its flaws" the blue eyed man added to the joke with the pop of his collar.

Sasuke let out one loud 'HA!' and shook his head, "well, if you have any medical problems, call and make an appointment; even though I really can't see that happening for quite some time."

Sasuke walked up and shook Naruto's hand, noting how soft they were, and only smirked instead of commenting.

He pulled back and looked down at the chart before walking out of the room, "my brother will be in to give you your shots."

Naruto suddenly looked horrified, "SHOTS!?"

* * *

Sasuke sat in his office long after his appointment with Naruto, and a good fifteen minutes after the office had closed, and most of the other physicians and workers had gone home to get much needed rest.

He sat his dimly lit room, and sank deeply in his cushiony desk chair, while going about his usual thinking habit of spinning his pen in his fingers.

All Sasuke could think about was how charming Naruto actually was, how the blonde made him smile with ease and Sasuke didn't have to force it, and how he could get him to laugh.

"Dearest brother, I do believe it might be more than his eyes by now. Possibly something below the belt?" Itachi smirked.

Yet Sasuke didn't move, he sat, still twirling his pen; this time around not bothered by his brothers' presence or annoyance at all.

Itachi's left eyebrow twitched at the realization that he wasn't annoying his younger brother. Itachi began tapping his chin in thought.

"Perhaps you're truly in between anger and complete bliss?"

"Nope." The younger ravens' voice had no emotion.

"Then I take it that you're torn. You just realized you're attracted to this man, yet you realized you could _possibly_ never be with him. You like something more then just his eyes? Then that _possibly_ factor. Either because it's your career on the line, or simply because you have no clue what his sexual preference is. Or maybe it's he has a clean bill of health, and you haven't a clue when you will get a chance just to see him again?" Itachi almost frowned.

Sasuke swiveled his chair around to survey his brother, "and how, may I ask, do you know that?"

Itachi put on the Uchiha trademark smirk, "Experience." Then he turned on his heel, and left.

Sasuke pursed his lips to the side and grumbled under his breath, "Experience my ass, lying son-of-a-bitch."  
He then got up out of his seat, and decided to leave himself.

* * *

Naruto arrived back at the shopping mall with three minutes to spare, and decided to park down near the food court. He bought a lunch to go, and sprinted to his work at break neck speed.

Once inside his department store, he ran straight for the time clock, where he spotted Sakura and Hinata. Naruto ran till the point he forgot to stop, and ran right into the wall next to the time clock, paper bag in mouth instead of hand.

Sakura and Hinata jumped back, "what are you doing, Naruto?!" Sakura snapped.

"I-I was almost wate. I didn't want to get eidder of us in trouble." Naruto was rubbing his forehead while swiping his time card in the electronic device while Sakura's expression softened at the antics of the blonde.

"Take the bag out of your mouth." Sakura took the bag gently and Hinata giggled.

Naruto stuffed his time card back into his pocket while Sakura peeked into the bag, "I'm not going to find porn or freaky sex toys right? You usually don't skip on lunch with us."

Sakura looked back up at Naruto with a confused look, "why is their food in here. People usually _eat_ on their lunch break."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he snatched his lunch away, "I had a doctor's appointment to go to, and I didn't have time to eat." This was the point in time Naruto silently prayed to every deity in the known universe that Sakura wouldn't take her previous comment about his best tie, and put it together with the doctor's appointment.

"Well why didn't you tell me?" Sakura playfully smacked his arm, "I wouldn't have cared. You aren't getting sick again, are you? I've never known you to get sick, Naruto. I would have preferred to go actually."

Naruto blushed, "That's why I didn't tell you, I scheduled a physical. After I got the pneumonia, I just wanted to check my health is all."

Hinata giggled again, and Sakura made an 'o' shape with her mouth, "How long has it been since you had a physical?"

Naruto's blushed deepened, "too long."

"So you didn't remember that they-"

"Enough!"  
--------------  
Naruto sat at the townhouse late that night, alone in his room, and thinking solely on the doctor's appointment earlier that day. He couldn't get the doctor off of his mind, his laughter, his smiling, and his sarcasm; plus the fact that the shots the raven hair man had made him get had his upper right arm sore as hell.

He really did want to see him again, but he had to wait another year to get another physical, plus he really didn't think he would handle the embarrassment of having his manhood held like nothing, and by a man whom he was attracted too.

He knew the chances of the doctor being attracted to him were slim to none, but he wanted to get to know him more-somehow; even if it came out to just be a friendship. He needed to see him more, and the only way he could see him more without freaking him out by asking him out on a date, was more doctor's appointments.

Naruto needed to get sick, and to get sick fast.

* * *

1) My car drags when then air conditioning is on.  
2) I'm not sure if they check them for _hernias_ but I know they do that whole ::twirls finger:: ball thing. If the testicles jump up at the coughing sensation, then the male is fine, if not – well, then we have a problem. (Thank my boyfriend for all that funny information)

Author's Note: Well… yup. Awkward moments make for good stories.


	3. One Bump Too Many

**Chapter 3** – One Bump Too Many

(Things are subject to _**change by the chapter**_. Keep an eye on the warnings and rating.)  
**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Beta:** AlchemyGaara  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru  
**Rating**: _T_ – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: Foul language and Suggestive themes.  
**Summary**: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, what can come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?  
**Authors Notes**: Well! It's been so long! So sorry. Between being really ill, my family life getting horribly out of control, a writers crap, and my other two fictions… I had to stop this one for just a little bit. But I want to reassure you, unless I die… I'm going to continue my fictions. I might take awhile, but I won't quit.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, nor Scarred. I'm just doing this fiction for fun.

**Dedication:** To everyone who was patient enough to wait, and won't give me crap for taking my time.

**Chapter 3**- One Bump Too Many

* * *

Naruto wanted to get sick and nothing was going to stop him now. Even if trying to get a cold when no one around him was sick was just as hard as it was for him to get a 'perfect' on his tests at school.

Naruto hovered around his room, pacing, and then sitting, and once more pacing again; just trying to find a way to get sick so he could have a reason to see the doctor once more.

"Well, maybe getting hurt wouldn't be _so_ bad…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

Naruto stopped his mindless ministration of pacing to stare at the television that had a gruesome show called 'Scarred' from some network; the show was where they showed kids falling and getting horribly hurt. Naruto winced and jumped back slightly as a teen fell off his BMX bike after slamming  
into a wall; a bone sticking out at an odd angle from his arm.

Naruto shook his head, "hell no. I'll get sick; he's not that damn special. It's not like his stethoscope is made of ramen."

"I have to find someone that's sick…" Naruto whispered harshly in frustration.

Naruto paced more and more while thinking, in hopes an idea would suddenly smack him upside the head, and everything would come together smoothly.

Naruto room door burst open in the middle of his pacing, and Naruto was so shocked; that he jumped in the air, came down, stumbled backwards, and tripped over his laundry basket.

"Naruto! Get up, you dork," Sakura was shaking her head while laughing.

"Why in the hell did you have to burst in like that?" Naruto finally pulled himself up and looked at Sakura oddly.

"I knocked for five minutes, but you had the television up so loud, you didn't even hear me," Sakura looked a bit angry as she looked around Naruto's room.

"What if I was doing something…privet," Naruto flushed slightly.

"Ew. Don't you think you're a bit _old_ for that?"

"Shove it. Now what the hell do you what?" Naruto began straightening his room up self-consciously.

"Shino is out with a cold, can you cover for him tomorrow?" Sakura opened a folder and shuffled through papers.

"He's out with a what, now?" Naruto's heart hammered excitedly.

"He has a cold, what do you think I said?" Sakura rolled her eyes, and handed Naruto a paper.

"What's this?" Naruto took the paper reluctantly and stared down at it.

"His hours," Sakura smiled triumphantly.

"I never said I would…"

Sakura's eyes suddenly lit with fury and she growled with anger, "Of all the times I've covered for you? If you don't get your blonde ass in there tomorrow, you won't be coming in _at all_ anymore."

"You'll fire me!?" Naruto sounded taken aback.

"I _need_ this favor, Naruto. And you need to look good to the General Manager, because if I don't fire you; he will."

"Fine, but I'm going to go to Shino, Kiba, and Konohamaru's, and talk to Shino," Naruto grabbed his jacket and his keys to his beat down car while Sakura stood with her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Naruto, don't stay over there forever, we have to be to work when it opens-"

"Ok! Bye, bye; and could you lock up before you leave my room?" Naruto ran out, oblivious to the seriousness of his work situation.

* * *

After Sasuke made his prediction of Naruto's clean bill of health, and had come out of his stupor, he was now irritable and down right explosive.

Sasuke was standing in front of a patient covered in hives, staring down at his clipboard with his scowl in place, and ready to make his new trend of false diagnosis.

Sasuke looked up, "it's probably nothing, just a cold or something; come back in a day if your still sneezing."

Sasuke turned on his heel, without looking up from his clipboard at the itchy woman who opened her mouth to speak; wretched open the door, and walked out of the room with a snap of the door.

The younger Uchiha had been doing it since he had seen Naruto last. He had diagnosed a man with a twisted ankle with a case of chicken pocks without a one look, a teen with his first migraine with Mono, and an infant with an ear infection with the flu.

Sasuke was so angry with every patient that walked in he didn't care to see them, and so he didn't care what who he diagnosed with what. So with his brother running behind him every moment, correcting his every mistake; Sasuke was a vengeful little raven haired jerk who was willing to spit fire at anyone who was willing to cross his path.

"Little brother…" Itachi was running up behind Sasuke, huffing for his breath.

"I don't have time, Itachi, I have another patient," Sasuke wasn't willing to take his eyes off his clipboard of his patients' charts.

Itachi reached forward and snatched the thing away, a snarl in his voice, "the hell you do! I've been running behind you _all_ week trying to fix _your_ mess! If you don't clean this shit act up little brother; you're out the door." Itachi shoved the clipboard into Sauske's chest with a rough gesture making Sasuke stumble into the wall.

Sasuke went to open his mouth to retort after his brother, but was cut short by a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Sauske… don't."

Sasuke snapped his head around to see a certain long haired, grey eyed doctor giving him a gentle look of warning.

"And why the hell not, Neji?" Sasuke resisted the urge to smack the doctor upside the head with the clipboard.

"He's been a little more than disgusted with your work lately, and he's more than serious with his warning of firing you," Neji straightened his white coat to flatten the invisible wrinkles.

"Oh, and he can share this crap with you?" Sasuke's temper was rising higher than it already was.

"I am one of his partners, I don't see why not. Now, Ms. Hang is waiting for you in room 7." With that, Neji turned the opposite way and left silently, staring down at his own clipboard and jotting down notes.

Sasuke hung his head in silent defeat, and walked silently towards room seven; shoving all thought about a certain blonde aside.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the apartment complex, screeching to a halt in the visitors parking, and stumbling out of his car while wrestling with his seatbelt.

Naruto stumbled up the concrete stairs of the ugly brown building, threw open the glass door, and ran up two more flights of stairs till he arrived at 2B; then began pounding on the door frantically, trying to catch his breath.

A man opened the door, a high brunette pony tail sat a top his head, and a dull confused look graced his bored features. His shoulders were slack while showing off his indifferent personality, his lips held a cigarette that he continued to puff on, and he scanned his eyes over the huffing blonde.

"Naruto, are you dying, or someone you know dying?" The male leaned against the door frame and then knocked the ashes off his cigarette.

Naruto coughed into his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, "no, Shikamaru, I just came to see Shino."

The man, Shikamaru, shook his head lightly and rolled his eyes, "is Sakura throwing another estrogen party? Are you really just here to get away from too _many_ girls?"

"No. Thank everyone. I'm really here to talk to Shino. I have to cover his department tomorrow and I don't know crap about it," Naruto shifted in his spot uncomfortably; lying wasn't his forte.

Shikamaru took a long drag from his cigarette, straightening up and moving inside, "Che, troublesome."

Naruto inwardly sighed in relief and fallowed suit, closing the door in his wake, and discarding his shoes on a mat by the door politely.

Another male, younger, sat on a beat up dark brown couch; his hair tied up as well, and he stared at the television with a glazed over look.

"Yo, Konohamaru…what's good?" Naruto stopped at the arm of the couch in front of a slim hallway that lead to the four boys separate bedrooms; Naruto was still amazed at such a large apartment.

Konohamaru shook his head lightly to snap his head out of his stupor, and looked sharply to his right to stare up at Naruto with a broad grin, "Hey, Naruto!"

They did a hand shake that only the two of them shared with odd gestures, clapping of hands, snapping of fingers, and pounding of fists.

"I thought you had an English paper to write?" Naruto gave him a disapproving look.

Konohamaru laughed dismissively, "I've finished it, what about you? This is your last year and college and you're over here just joking around? Come on man, I'm supposed to look up to you!"

Naruto playfully hit Konohamaru in the arm, "I don't see you working my hours and putting in the classes I do! So keep looking up _little boy_! I'm picking up Shino's shift since he decided to get sick. I came to ask him about his department; I know nothing about china."

"Dude, it's so easy, just tell everyone you don't have it; or go in the stock room and pretend you're looking for it and then say you don't have it…works every time."

Naruto laughed at Konohamaru while he glanced at the loud television, "no wonder your sales _blow_."

Naruto continued to laugh his way down the hallway towards Shino's room to the howling retorts of Konahamaru, who seemed to have been glued to the couch and unable to get up and do something about it.

Naruto walked into Shino's room, not bothering to knock, and instantly ready to take on the mission to get whatever sickness and illness Shino now had.

The room was boiling hot, and Shino sat on his bed, wrapped like a burrito in his blankets staring serenely at the television that was currently playing a show about the life of some bug or another. Shino was so entranced, it took him a good minute to notice that the blonde had entered the room and was staring at him with an unsure look upon his face.

"Hey, Shino, heard you're a bit under the weather."

Shino nodded slowly, trying to talk, but his voice only being muffled by the blankets.

"I'm taking your shift tomorrow, and I need some pointers on the merchandise in your section. Can you help me out?" Naruto sat on the edge of Shino's bed, which happened to be the only available sitting place in the tiny room.

Shino nodded lightly, and pointed to a black binder on the dresser next to the television, which Naruto picked up and handed to Shino, and Shino immediately handed back.

Naruto shrugged, "I'm confused."

Shino coughed into his hand and without realizing it, snatched the binder away and opened it randomly for a moment to show place settings of elegant dishes.

Naruto's mouth rounded out into an 'o' as he took the binder back, "it's your information binder! I forgot that you're the manager of your department."

Shino began coughing more, the blankets slipping off his face, and his hands fumbled for his ribs instead of covering his mouth; Naruto instinctively cowered away.

"Alright man, I'm going to go make you some tea really quick and then get out of your hair…"

All Shino could do was continue to cough harshly with a few sneezes and nod.

* * *

Sasuke marched around his townhouse, his black silk pajama pants hanging loose and low around his hips, and his slippers making an odd squeaking noise for no reason, and his tank top two sizes two big dripping off of him like liquid. Yet Sasuke couldn't sit still at all.

Every time he tried to sit on his expensive and favorite U-bend black leather lounge couch, or his favorite Victorian hand carved chair, or his favorite zero gravity recliner (1) his anxiety would build up in his stomach and he would have to simply pace around his house.

The raven's anxiety was driving him mad, the heavy and repetitive sinking feeling in his gut, the hammering heart sensation, the shaking hands, and the ever popular urge to just hit your head against a wall was all to much for him to take.

Ever since his encounter with his brother and Neji, he was having horrible anxiety that refused to disperse. Sasuke knew it was coming and it was only a matter of time; ever since his brother had told him it was practically impossible to see Naruto.

Work was a giant strain on the younger Uchiha, the strain of the realization that his work was keeping him from a man that he suddenly adored killed him, but the idea that the blonde was possibly disgusted with one man with another drove Sasuke up the wall. So when the raven went to work for the past week, he took all his frustrations and anger out on unsuspecting patients who just wanted to get well once more; just like Naruto had done.

Sasuke's anxiety built once more as he thought of the blonde again. He knew he could go to his brother, get a prescription to calm his nerves, go sleep, and go on sick leave for a week to clear his head; but in the back of Sasuke's mind he was still hopeful that those gorgeous blue eyes would come sparkling through the door once more.

He had no idea why he was so entranced by him.

Maybe by Naruto's sheer gift to make him laugh in a way that no one else could, and Sauske reassured himself, no one had been able to make Sasuke laugh for quite a long time. Perhaps it was Naruto's glowing personality, a glow in such, which it acted as a magnet towards others.

Maybe his looks?

Just thinking about certain aspects about the blonde's physique made Sasuke's lips twitch upward. Naruto's body was one of an athlete. Tone and perfected, muscles where there, but they didn't bulge and overtake to make an eyesore.

A perfectly etched stomach in just the right places, toned arms and legs, and Sasuke almost drooled over his chest; Sasuke thanked every deity for physicals.

Sasuke marveled over Naruto's hair, it was messy and untidy, but somehow perfectly kept, and perfectly fit the man in his entirety. Naruto's skin was downright beautiful. Sasuke knew that Naruto was from the other side of the country, but he had obviously lived near a beach; his record only gave a state.

His skin was a perfect sun-kissed tan that seemed to never waver or ware. His smile was wide, beautiful, and contagious; just like his laughter. Then there were his eyes.

Without realizing what he was doing, Sasuke had stopped his ministrations of pacing and walking around the townhouse like a crazed animal; stopping in front of the refrigerator and staring out the window towards the sky.

"They remind me of…of… a perfect, clear, spring morning. Those mornings where the world seems perfect and nothing can go wrong…" Sasuke whispered into his coffee cup; frozen in the ministration of thinking.

Sasuke closed his eyes slowly, shaking his head, and took a sip of his coffee; trying to wake up from the daydream of the idea that he could possibly be with Naruto.

* * *

Naruto stood in Shino's department for the second time that week. Working double the amount of hours as well as pulling off college was killing the poor blonde. Naruto was solely disappointed in one man, and that was Shino. He was relying on him to make himself sick, and he came out in perfect condition; even after getting coughed on for an hour and a half.

So here he stood, in the most annoying section in the store; the china department. Plates that people would spend five hundred dollars on, five different types of glasses that cost more than his college tuition, and snooty customers; all making the blonde man question why in the world he had even thought to agreeing to do this; losing his job or not.

He had already had horrible trouble with a middle aged woman who was shopping off a registry, and trying to help her print out the wedding registry was hard in itself, but walking around the department and not being able to pronounce a single solitary thing was driving the woman up the wall.

Luckily, Sakura swooped in and saved the day, and noticed that Naruto looked like he could strangle the sheet of paper while the woman looked like she could strangle Naruto.

"Excuse me, Miss? Do you need some extra help with what you're finding?" Sakura plastered on her smile and hitched up her sweet voice.  
The woman sighed in relief, "_yes_! I need to get my daughter plenty of things for her wedding and we are getting no headway!" The woman sounded absolutely exasperated as she explained this to Sakura while Naruto made rude gestures behind her back.

"_Well_," Sakura said through gritted teeth while she glared momentarily at Naruto, "why don't we find what you need, Naruto…this set that she highlighted is only kept in the back stockroom, third row over, and top shelf up."

The woman and Sakura looked expectantly at Naruto while he blinked several times, waiting for Sakura to go get what the grumpy old woman wanted.

"Would you please go get it while I help her get these other items that she has highlighted?" Sakura strained though gritted teeth once more, and glared in warning.

Naruto instantly turned on his heel and the moment he did, he heard the woman snicker and begin to grumble to Sakura about his actions.

Naruto began mumbling under his breath on his way to the stock room, "stupid bitch, ugly bright ass bottle blonde hair, and those gross ass freaky nails that are straight out of a horror movie…" Naruto began to punch in the code to the lock for the stock room, still mumbling, and still cursing the woman into an oblivion.

Naruto marched into the stock room, slamming the door in his wake from his anger, and the lights came on in attention with Naruto's motion. Naruto walked obediently to the third row and looked up; looking for the ugly red and white box that was far too big for its own good.

The box was exactly where Sakura stated it would be, and on the top shelf, and where no latter stood. Naruto noted that the only latter in the huge room was wedged in a corner by stacks and stacks of boxes of luggage.

"Naruto! Where the fuck is Kiba!" Sakura's voice sounded from the doorway, obviously entering to get something more for the grumpy woman.

"He's on his lunch," Naruto yelled back, while he scratched his head as he looked up at the box, and contemplated on how he could get the box down without doing extra work to remove the latter.

"What time is he supposed to get back? I can't help you forever! I have to be a manager for a completely different department," Sakura began making grunting noises; it was apparent she was lifting something heavy.

"He gets back soon, don't worry, and what the hell are you lifting?" Naruto put his left foot on the bottom shelf of the third row shelf, and his right foot on the bottom shelf of the fourth row.

"This heavy…ass…luggage set, AHH!" A high screech made Naruto jump down and run towards Sakura's voice.

"What's wrong?" Naruto was frantic, thinking his friend had hurt herself.

"It's a fucking cockroach!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, and turned on his heel, refusing to help the screaming woman who was now hoping up and down.

Naruto went back to the shelves, and replaced his feet on the bottom shelves of the third and fourth rows, and gripped shelves on either side for leverage; Naruto began his climb.

Knowing he shouldn't be doing what he was currently doing, considering he could fall, break merchandise, or just wreck the whole stock room, but he continued to climb.

Moving one foot before the other, and climbing one shelf and then another, Naruto slowly climbed his way to the very top of the stockroom. Knowing only that he reached the top was when he knew he could go no further and when he bumped his head on the ceiling with an audible thud.

Naruto hissed and rubbed the top of his head as his eyes watered up from the stinging sensation that was pulsating from the top of his head.

"Yo, Naruto!" A male's voice echoed from the other side of the stock room.

"Here, Kiba!" Naruto grabbed for the large box and slid it off the shelf gently, trying to keep his footing, and held the box to his chest.

Kiba walked towards Naruto's voice, looking down the aisles for any sight of the blonde who could only be lost while looking for the fifty-two piece china set.

"Look up!" Naruto's voice bellowed.

Kiba's head snapped to attention, his brunette hair flying out of his face, and Kiba stared straight above his head, "what in the fuck are you doing up there? You could get yourself killed!"

"Sorry, _mom_, but the latter was blocked, and I decided to use the shelves instead; catch," Naruto tossed the large box down towards Kiba, who caught it reluctantly, and with a loud groan of pain.

"You good?" Naruto could only call as he began to make his decent.

"Yeah," Kiba lied and coughed; the box had knocked the wind out of him.

"Well, I can give that grumpy bitch her china set and then go eat me some fo-"

Without warning, on the way down between shelves four and five, Naruto's left foot slipped on a piece of plastic wrap that was left sitting idly from a luggage set.

"Shit-"

Naruto's eyes opened wide, his hands scrambled wildly for a ledge to grasp, and his feet kicked in the air. Naruto's fingers numbly griped the edge just by the tips, and Naruto could just make out Kiba calling out his name in the calamity. Naruto's feet tried to find another ledge, a shelf of any kind, and he could feel his finger tips slipping knowing he was still twenty feet from the ground. (2)

"Naruto!"

* * *

Sasuke sat around his office doing paper work in between patients. Now allowed to see his patients without his brother or Neji in the doorway or directly behind him; he instantly felt relieved.

It had been stressful with his brother constantly clearing his throat that would allow Sasuke's temper to rise, or when Neji would step in when he noticed Sauske wasn't completely into his work.

Sasuke lightly scribbled notes on a patients chart, noting that they shouldn't eat shellfish again, and if they did so, they could possibly die, and no matter how much they liked the damn taste. While Sasuke wrote down the shots administered to the overly swollen patient just moments earlier, a light knock came to his door; so faint that it went unnoticed.

The door creaked open slowly, with more knocking, only louder, "Sasuke…you have a patient…"

"Karin, I'm busy filling out this chart, and I don't have a patient for another half an hour," Sasuke didn't look up from his chart and his note taking.

The raven's voice was frigid and his posture read that he wanted to be left alone.

"It's a squeeze in…"

Sasuke threw his head back in exasperation with a loud and audible sigh.

"It's that weird blond male. The hospital sent him over, it seems he got hurt at work…" Karin's voice was small as if she was waiting to be snapped at.

Sasuke swiveled around in his chair quickly, swearing his ears were deceiving him, "Who?"

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. He twisted his ankle at work and the hospital sent him over; they're too backed up and they know we can do x-rays."

Sasuke stood up rather quickly and eagerly, almost sending his chair toppling over, grabbed his white coat, and dashed past Karin without a second glance.

* * *

Naruto was sitting in one of the exam rooms, number four if he could remember correctly, and Kiba and Sakura were in the waiting room eagerly awaiting news on the blonde.

Naruto rolled the wheelchair back and forth dully, bored out of his skull after already spending three hours in the emergency waiting room, and now being sent here.

The blonde's body throbbed. He had already been told he had a concussion after hitting his head on something hard, and he assumed a shelf, on his decent to the floor. His back cried in protest from smacking the cold and hard tiled floor after smacking down on his feet.

Then his poor ankle.

All Naruto could remember was his awkward landing after hitting his head, he remembered the weird position his foot had been in, and now his whole foot, ankle, and lower leg was swollen.

Now that Naruto had rummaged through all the drawers and cabinets to keep himself busy since he was told he couldn't take a nap like he so desired, he was now left with nothing to do except try not to catch his fingers in the wheels of the chair.

A light knock came at the door, and a jolt of excitement shot through Naruto's entire body, making him snap his head toward the door and his head screamed at him for doing so.

Naruto's original plan was to get to see the doctor, not get injured, but he wasn't going to deny himself the opportunity and just wheel himself out.

Sasuke's smirking face peaked in, and then the rest of him fallowed, carrying Naruto's chart in his left hand and extending his right for that momentary contact that he craved with the blonde.

Naruto took his hand as long as he was allowed to hold it before it was considered awkward or weird, and then released, waiting for Sasuke to talk; instead he laughed.

"You fell off a shelf?" Sasuke coughed into his hand, catching himself at laughing at one of his patients: A big no-no.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it off, but I did."

"Did they accidentally store you instead of a couch or something?" Sasuke placed the chart down and walked to the sink to wash his hands.

"No," Naruto couldn't help but blush. The blonde pretended to stare at something interesting at the hem of his shirt to hide the pink tint on his cheeks.

"Well, you have to tell me what happened, I'm your doctor, and I have to put it in your chart," Sasuke began to roll up his sleeves of his jacket even more.

"I went to get this big ass china set for this grouchy woman on the top shelf of the stock room, and I didn't use the latter, I just sort of… you know…slipped," Naruto shifted painfully in his wheelchair.

"So, you climbed the shelves I take it?" Sasuke kneeled in front of Naruto and looked at his swollen foot; Naruto's pant leg had already been rolled up.

"Yup," Naruto hissed suddenly as Sasuke gently held Naruto's heel, "that hurts."

"Can you wiggle your toes?"

Naruto tried, but once again hissed, "That's a negative."

"I'm not going to bother trying to bend it when it's this swollen. I'm going to have you get some x-rays taken, and then we can go from there," Sasuke turned around and started scribbling on Naruto's chart.

"Wait- can this be broken?" Naruto started to panic.

"I'm leaning more towards broken than sprained. If it's broken, we can get transport to take you to a professional to cast you," Sasuke hadn't looked up from his notes to see Naruto begin to panic.

"Aren't you professional enough! Wait a damn minute!" Sasuke snapped his head in the direction of Naruto's mad tone of voice, "If this is broken, then I can't walk, and then I lose my damned job!"

Sasuke drew his eyebrows together in the center of his forehead, causing wrinkles to emerge as he questioned the random outburst and how to counteract it.

"Uhh…well, if it's not too bad, we can give you crutches for a week, and then a walking cast, and then you can get right back to work," Sasuke smiled softly, and for a moment, Naruto's breath caught at the sight along with his brain jamming, but then he remembered what was happening.

"You don't get it! You have a solid job, you can miss some days and they'll take you back! If I miss anymore days, I'm history! Its bad enough I had to file a form that I got hurt while working there, and how it happened, I'll be lucky if I have my job after that! There isn't anything you can do?" Naruto was practically pleading with the man, and his growing volume of voice was not helping his pounding head.

"Mr. Uzumaki, the matter is simply out of my hands, but I promise, I will do all that I can."

With that, Sasuke smiled once more, making the anger deflate out of the blonde like a popped hot air balloon, and he left the room in a rush.

* * *

It turned out, Naruto had what the old Orthopedic doctor called, 'a clean break', meaning it would heal fine with not needing to be set in place, no extra time in a cast, no surgery, and was going to be fine. The doctor told Naruto almost exactly what Sasuke had said, but he was going to be on crutches for about a week and a half to two weeks, and then he could get the special made shoe that could slip on and off his cast for walking(2).

Naruto was sent home with pain killers for all the pain his was experiencing, doctor's orders to be woken up every hour because of the concussion, and a week off from work and school.

Naruto was silent the whole ride home from the office, listening to Sakura and Kiba ramble on about one thing or another, and he suddenly realized he was horribly upset; minus tears.

He knew his job was over, which meant he couldn't afford rent, which meant he couldn't afford the college of his dreams, and also meant he had to move right back to the place he came from.

Sakura's merry chime of a ring tone, signaling work, shook Naruto out of his depressing thoughts, and instead, made him only wonder what work wanted with Sakura at one in the morning.

"Hello?" Sakura glanced sideways at Kiba with a look of apologies; they had been having a good time talking.

Silence rung for a moment or two while Sakura watched the road, she held the phone tightly to her ear, nodding as if the person on the other end could see, and glancing every once in a blue moon in the rear view mirror at the blonde.

"Yes Ma'am, I'll do that. Goodnight to you as well," Sakura hung up the phone, placed it back into the cup holder in between Kiba and herself, and looked to Kiba with a broad smile.

"Was that the manager?"

"Yes, it was!" Sakura sounded perkier than she had in all the years Naruto had known her.

"Was she calling to tell you the last day I work, or is she just saying she's sending my pink slip in the mail?" Naruto went back to looking out the window.

"No, but it was about you."

"Oh, then is she suing me for getting hurt there?"

"Nope, she's going to promote you when you get back," Sakura took the off ramp towards their neighborhood.

"WHAT!?" Naruto and Kiba screamed together.

* * *

After taking two pain pills, lying down in a very soft and comfortable bed, after hopping on his crutches up stairs; Naruto still couldn't believe what Sakura had told him. In between dropping Kiba off, and the ride home, Sakura explained everything that their store manager had explained.

It turned out that Sasuke was behind everything. The beautiful raven haired doctor had ended up doing some file digging and looking up his work number to contact his boss.

It also turned out, they had been long time friends, and after Sasuke had put in a good word, Naruto was in the extra clear; not only with his store manager, but with his general manager as well.

Sasuke had put in such a good word, that his manager decided to give him a deserved promotion and raise, and she also said that she would be more helpful with scheduling and his school hours.

So here Naruto is, his pain ebbing away now that he was still and comfortable, and Sakura and Hinata creeping in to say that they will be taking turns to come in and check on him.

Even though it felt like his day was horrible, the thought of moving and losing his job seeming like it was going to happen in a moment. A fall that caused him to break his foot, bumps his head, and hurt his back. Then he even snapped at the doctor who was nice enough to pull strings to get him a week off work, with pay, and then a promotion.

Yet he couldn't stop smiling. He now had an opportunity to have, one, a check-up with Sasuke, two, an opportunity to say thank you to his face, and three, an opportunity to ask him to lunch just as a thank you gesture. Naruto's smile broadened as he envisioned himself out with Sasuke.

"Getting hurt _was_ kinda bad, but it has it's benefits…" Naruto whispered to no one in general.

So as Naruto went to settle himself into a night of wonderful dreams, a fit of coughs, and then sneezes caused his head to throb and back to ache, and gave Naruto one more reason to have to see Sasuke in the next day or two to come.

* * *

**AN**: Sorry for the Hiatus everyone. But I have really good news. I got engaged! Woot! Plus, this chapter opens up the whole story, and I doubt I will get stuck like I did before. So to all of you who stuck by me: THANK YOU!

1) If you guys don't know what the recliner looks like, google it in images… it's my dream recliner.

2) In a regular stock room, the ceilings aren't _that_ high, but some retail store have larger stock rooms that are pretty damn big. Go with the flow…please.

3) I can't remember how my walking cast worked, but just pretend that's how they work. XD


	4. Chapter 4

(Things are subject to change by the chapter

(Things are subject to _**change by the chapter**_. Keep an eye on the warnings and rating.)  
**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru  
**Rating**: T – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: I mentioned God, if it's touchy for anyone or offends anyone. And there is a cliffy.  
**Summary**: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, and what come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?  
**Authors Notes**: I have many, many, many, excuses, but, writing them all down would actually be longer than this chapter I've come up with…so, in short; I apologize and here's the chapter.  
**Beta**: AlchemyGaara

* * *

Here Naruto was, back at the doctor's office three days after getting injured, except this time he now had a cold. Sakura sat next to him on his right, her jade eyes downcast towards a magazine she was currently flipping through, and Hinata on his left was rubbing his back soothingly.

Naruto couldn't help but think that visiting Shino was the _dumbest_ idea he had ever come up with. Sure, the blonde had come up with some ideas in his day, some crazy ones, but this took the cake.

"Naruto Uzumaki, the doctor will see you now."

The blonde looked up from his lap and sighed. He didn't want to move. His body ached and he felt like hell; moving felt out of the question and yet this woman wanted that. Damn her.

Naruto groaned as he pulled himself to his feet with his crutches, Hinata and Sakura smiling and reassuring that they would remain there, and he hopped along towards the attractive woman who stood in the doorway patiently waiting.

"I see you're back rather soon, so there is no need to weigh you, but I'm just going to have to ask you a few questions once we get you seated."

The blonde couldn't help but groan. Why in the hell did they have to ask questions? Why do they ask questions anyway?  
They always ask the same questions three damn times. Why do you need to come in? They ask it once you call, once you get in, and once you see the doctor; talk about memory failure. Besides, couldn't they just give him medication and send him on his way; it made so much sense to him and it would be so much easier.

Yet, Naruto couldn't help but amuse himself with the image of a drive through doctor.

"So what brings you in today Mr. Uzumaki?" The woman sat down at the computer and brought up his file quickly.

"Sneezing, coughing, and sore throat." Naruto mumbled.

"Any fever?" The woman began to type rapidly.

"Yes. Around a hundred-something." Naruto sneezed and then coughed. Naruto wished there was an off button for the mucus that was flowing through him; it was downright disgusting.

"Alright, I'm just going to take your vitals, and your temperature and then we'll get Dr. Uchiha in to see you to clear this up."

"He has a magic wand?" Naruto looked up from his lap where his head had been limply pointing towards.

"Uh…no." The nurse paused with the thermometer in her hand wondering if she should write down 'delusional'.

"Ah, you said clear this up, so I was thinking he was either a magician or a miracle worker. I don't see God anywhere… so I was going with magician."

The nurse let out a small and polite giggle before thrusting the small object under the blonde's tongue making him gag and cough.

A slight beeping met the pairs ears a moment later signaling that, either the chicken was done, or Naruto might just be slightly feverish.

"Oh, dear. 102 on the dot. Well, I'll go grab Dr. Uchiha and why don't you just lie back till he comes in."

Naruto immediately flopped back like a rag doll on the uncomfortable and lumpy table before the nurse could even make it to the door to grab the knob to make her exit. Naruto really couldn't help it, he was downright exhausted, and he felt like crap.

At least with the pneumonia he didn't remember half of it; with this it's just downright annoying.

Plus it didn't help it was just when he got his promotion. Not a second too soon; just his luck. Naruto laughed bitterly at the thought. Then he remembered he needed to thank the good Dr. Uchiha for getting him that promotion.

Before Naruto could even try and practice how to talk to the gorgeous doctor and try and form the 'thank you' sentence, a knock came and the door opened.

Naruto flung himself up, a few stray blonde hairs tickling his face suddenly, and his head suddenly spun fiercely. Naruto's tan hand swung up and smack the left side of his face in an attempt to stop the spinning, but only got a different reaction.

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh as he shut the door. "Sorry, but that had to hurt."

Naruto attempted to glare at him with his uncovered right eye, but his head was still spinning, and the face he made at the fact made the blonde much less then any type of threat.

"Yeah, it hurt! My head's still all banged up, and now it's all screwy from this cold or whatever the hell I have! I just don't know how to stop it from spinning when I sit up."

Sasuke resisted the urge to snort as he proceeded to wash his hands. "Well, trying to give yourself another concussion is not the way to go about it."

Naruto slowly removed his hand from his face and watched Sasuke turn around almost entranced; his smile was mesmerizing simply because Naruto knew that it was something rare.

"So before we get to the new stuff; how is the leg and the head?"

Naruto shrugged. "I didn't start bleeding out of my ears and eyes, and I can see perfectly straight. Oh, not to mention I can use all my limbs without anything messing up so I'm pretty sure there's no brain damage."

Sasuke pulled a stool up in front of the blonde and pulled out a small flashlight. "Good. Now if you could just follow the light with your eyes for me."

Naruto's eyes flicked back and fourth and side to side while Sasuke's heart skipped a little at the sight of the gorgeous color.

"I'm just sore otherwise." Naruto's eyes flicked upwards and followed the flashlight.

"It's common, but it should go away with a little time. Alright," Sasuke clicked the flashlight off and stored it away back in his pocket, "tell me what's going on now…"

"I'm coughing a lot, I have more mucus flowing through and out of my body than I really knew existed, I'm sneezing like it's an Olympic sport, and I have a lot of chills."

Sasuke chuckled and took his stethoscope from around his neck. "How does your breathing feel. Good, bad, or regular?"

"A little worse with all the coughing and congestion. It's not horrible."

"Good, then let's hear it. Lift up the back of your shirt for me and then take a deep breath in."

Naruto did as he was told just as the raven-haired doctor stood, but jumped when the round metal piece was placed on his back from the sudden cold spot.

"Sorry, now, take a deep breath in and let it out as slowly as possible.."

Naruto took a deep breath in, and proceeded to let it out slowly, causing the blonde to become light headed.

The procedure was redone a few more times just to check the condition of his lungs, and by the time Sasuke was finished checking, Naruto was dizzier than he had ever been in his life.

"Go ahead and lie back Mr. Uzumaki. Just wait till your head stops spinning. It looks to be like a sinus infection on top of some bronchitis forming. Easy to fix and doesn't take long to get rid of either."

Naruto suddenly sat up, making his head spin worse; he was on the verge of falling off the seat he was on currently.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" Sasuke questioned suddenly, in front of the computer where he was writing in notes and debating on medications.

"I needed to thank you before I forgot!" Naruto grabbed his head and swayed on the spot on top of the patients table.

Sasuke stood up and rushed over and grabbed onto Naruto's side; preventing the blonde from sliding off the side without even realizing it.

"What are you going on about? You need to lie down for a moment to let your head calm itself." Sasuke tried to remind the blonde.

"You got me time off work. Then you got them to be more lenient with my schedule so I can get to school, and not to mention, you got me a promotion. I owe you."

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, a light smile playing on his face, and not realizing he had leaned into the stomach of the raven as soon as he rushed over. Naruto really couldn't help himself, the raven is just comfortable to be around, and Naruto was more attracted to him the more he saw him. Naruto smiled up at the raven lightly while Sasuke's brain temporarily went out of service before it was smacked back on.

"It's not a problem, Tsunade and Jiraiya can be such hard asses, and sometimes they forget that people have lives outside of work. Not to mention Tsunade was rambling on about how you were such a great worker, and she really wasn't sure why she hadn't promoted you yet except she was scared it would get in the way of school. If she starts acting up again, mention my name and she'll shut the hell up." Sasuke smiled lightly back down at the blonde, not really trying to move from the position he was at, holding Naruto by the shoulders and the blonde next to his stomach; it was oddly comfortable.

"Can I take you out for food as a thank you? I'd buy you a gift, but I don't think we've reached that stage in the friendship level." Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke went rigid and his heart suddenly started pounding against his chest, and that was the time Sasuke found it good to sit Naruto up straight and by himself without any support.

"That would be a lot of fun Mr. Uzumaki, but I'm not allowed to socialize with my patients like friends. I'll get fired." Sasuke walked slowly back over to the computer desk wishing he could bang his head against it.

"You can get fired for a hell of a lot of shit." Naruto stated. The blonde didn't mean to use such foul language, but he really wanted to go out and _really_ get to know the attractive doctor. Somewhere inside Naruto he felt like he'd been rejected.

"I'm sorry, but maybe once you get better, and you don't have to come and see me then we can go out and get a bite to eat on you." Sasuke said softly. Sasuke honestly wanted to go tonight and stay out all hours of the night with the blonde. He had never been more attracted to anyone before.

"Sure…" Naruto said half-heartedly.

* * *

Sasuke's head rested against his cold desk, and his arms limply covered his head sadly. Sasuke was suddenly beginning to hate his favorite job.

"Well, little brother, I haven't seen you this glum since Mother and Father… well… you know."

"He offered to take me out to lunch and I had to decline." Sasuke mumbled to his desk.

Itachi hummed in understanding as he leaned against the doorframe leisurely as accustomed. "It's not easy is it? Being so attracted to someone, feeling such a connection, and then opportunity knocks, but you have to ignore it to keep your career. It's a hard shot in the balls, but it's something we sometimes face."

Sasuke snorted. "I've never crossed _this_ before. Obviously you have more then once."

"Ahh, that my dear brother is where you are wrong. It was only once, and that moment will never let me live it down, but at the same time I really didn't want to risk my business for something that might not be possible. It's these risks that sometimes we have to face."

"Then how in the hell did mom and dad come to marry is all I want to know!" Sasuke sat up and slammed his hands down.

He was frustrated, tired, and sick, but all of rules. He just wanted to go out to eat with the blonde because even if they couldn't cross that friendship barrier, something within him felt he would be content being in his presence and staring into his eyes for quite some time.

"Because once mother was taken with father, she became overly insistent. She wouldn't give up seeing him till she had him; I think we have her hardheaded way about things when I think about it." Itachi trailed off absently.

"It just… It bothers me." Sasuke admitted.

"Well, if you keep letting it bother you so much, it will rule your life. Remember dear little brother; you weren't even sure if he swung that way. Get home and try to get some rest… And take tomorrow off before you come in and destroy my patients over this man once again."

Sasuke couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle as he shut off his desk light and stood to make his leave with his older brother.

* * *

Rejection.

Naruto knew it wasn't _technically_ rejection, but it had the sting of rejection, and the hard aftertaste of rejection. He couldn't quite get the whole thing out of his head. It was just lunch. Nothing more, nothing less, and that's why he didn't get why it was such a big deal.

Maybe Sasuke had sensed Naruto coming onto him, and so he made a hasty escape out. No, that just didn't seem right. Maybe he just wasn't the social type; he really didn't look like he got out much anyway. Or maybe he really couldn't go out because he _could_ lose his job, because when Naruto saw his face, he looked so…upset that he had to decline Naruto's offer.

Sure, Naruto sometimes didn't understand what the big deal would be about risking his job, but then again, Naruto really didn't have a job to be passionate about. Most doctors got into the field because they want to help people and they love what they do, and Naruto can understand Sasuke not wanting to risk that for a burger at some Ruby Tuesdays.

The thing was; Naruto wasn't the type that gave up that easy. If he wanted something, or felt strongly about something; the blonde would do anything to obtain it.

And if that meant Naruto had to stop seeing Sasuke to see Sasuke, then he had a great idea just to go about things.

* * *

Author's Note: It's regrettably short; I know, but I set it up for chapters to come, which I needed to do. Thanks for everyone who _still_ reads this and _still_ waited to read it. Means a lot.


	5. Notice Me

Things are subject to _**change by the chapter**_. Keep an eye on the warnings and rating.)

**Chapter 5**: Notice Me

**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru  
**Rating**: T – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: Foul language  
**Summary**: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, and what come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?  
**Authors Notes**: I would have had this out sooner; but I was hospitalized for two days, and then my cat was put to sleep the day after I came home. So I've been trying to get everything under control.  
**Beta: **I have a special AN at the end of the fiction pertaining to that. Otherwise, this isn't edited.

**Chapter 5**: Notice Me

* * *

Blue eyes scanned over a check sheet on a see-through clip board before looking up and scanning over a still rather unfamiliar department.

Naruto had returned to work. This time his cold was gone so he wouldn't cough on customers or leak snot on any merchandise. His promotion was instantly put into play, and began managerial training with Sakura.

Though, when Sakura had certain things to attend too or a lunch break to be taken; Naruto was on his own. Even though the blonde had been dying for this opportunity, it felt like a jump that he shouldn't have taken.

Constantly, something was wrong, something always needed to be attended too, and there was twice the amount of work to do on top of it.

Being a manager _sucked_.

He liked being a cashier. When you were a cashier, you were the one that called the manager when things went wrong. When a customer wanted things there way, something needed to be put up for display, you weren't sure how to do something, or perhaps you needed something to have approval for something; call a manger.

Hell, that was just the start.

The blonde couldn't believe all the crap he had to do on his first day back. Not to mention he was _training_. He still wasn't sure how to do half the stuff as a cashier and now he had to learn three times as much as a manger.

Was the raise really worth it?

Naruto hobbled on through the men's department, his clipboard now tucked under his arm and his pen tucked behind his ear. The walking cast the doctor had given his was securely in place, but it had left his feet completely uneven, and made his walking difficult and rather funny looking. Konohamaru reminded him on a constant basis whenever the blonde limped by his cashier's stand.

But today, only a few days after seeing Sasuke last, Naruto had scheduled another appointment. Sure, the blonde felt it was a tad desperate, and maybe a little overdone, but this time he knew what he was doing in order to be able to go out with the attractive raven. Sure, the blonde was considered a bit 'empty headed' at times, and his plans sometimes seemed a bit 'under thought', but this time, Naruto had the perfect plan.

* * *

Sasuke sat at his desk in his office typing away on his computer while inputting data on a patient he had just seen. After taking a few days off to clear his mind from the whole 'food' incident, he still felt disappointed in himself, and felt the days at home alone with nothing to do only made it worse.

"Still caught up on the man with the _pretty eyes_ I see."

Like usual, Itachi was leaning on the door frame, armed and ready to tease and torture his younger brother just to frustrate the living hell out of him. It wasn't cruel in his eyes, no; it was more like an everyday sport he just loved to play.

"Nope." Sasuke replied sounding genuinely seeming unfazed and sounding uncaring.

"Is that why you took personal days?" Itachi continued. He would be damned if he didn't crack Sasuke, or really, Sasuke didn't crack himself by smashing his head on his own desk.

"I needed some time off; I've been pulling a lot of overtime." Sasuke corrected him without any hesitation.

It was technically true, Sasuke had been coming in early, and had been leaving late with putting in extra paper work and files into the computer system.

Yet, Itachi wasn't going to accept that as an excuse, because he knew it was just that – an excuse.

He first needed to get Sasuke's attention away from his computer seeing as he hated it when his brother ignored him so; he wanted the spotlight solely on him.

"Let's see… he's your age, and he's been healthy till he moved here for some reason; must be the air or something." Itachi lazily flipped through a file not looking up noting that Sasuke had stopped typing.

"He lives with _two girls_. Interesting." Itachi chanced a glance before looking back down, and indeed, he was getting under his brother's skin with this. He noticed Sasuke going rigid at that point; it was only a matter of time.

"Now, he made you 'his doctor', am I right? People have regular doctors. Yet, today, he made an appointment; but not with you." Itachi stated lightly and simply, like this was nothing out of the ordinary and he was simply making polite conversation.

But he hit a nerve. Well, he did something, because Sasuke finally whipped around in his chair and quickly stood, and stormed by his brother with a stone cold face of something determined.

* * *

It was Naruto's lunch break – finally. Naruto really couldn't understand why he didn't simply make these things on his days off? Possibly because he couldn't stand to be bothered by Sakura or Hinata with this. Ever since he had been hurt and sick, whenever they had one single moment; they would call and check on him.

So Naruto really couldn't imagine if he said he was going to be going to the doctor while neither of them could accompany him like he was their child. Lately, whenever they knew about the appointment – they went. Really, when you're trying to woo a certain doctor, and a male one at that, showing up to the doctors' office with your two female roommates each time is not the smartest idea.

Then again, the more Naruto thought about it, neither was this newest one.

If Sasuke was as smart as he came off as, he could catch on to Naruto's 'grand scheme' rather quickly; because in all honestly it's not hard to put all the pieces of the very small puzzle together.

Really? Suddenly, after Sasuke said he couldn't go out to eat with him because Naruto was his patient, Naruto made a doctor's appointment with a completely different doctor in the same office; it made Naruto question if it was too simple or too complex to be caught on too.

But right now, Naruto didn't care.

Sasuke specifically said he couldn't see Naruto because the blonde was his patient, and he couldn't go out to lunch until Naruto wasn't coming to the office as much, so in other words; wasn't really as much of a patient. But Naruto wasn't that patient to wait what could be months, and he had to take matters into his own hands.

Sasuke had told him he needed a check-up in the next few following days to make sure the sinus infection was ebbing away, and his body was healing well, and Naruto knew it was the only time he could carry out this idea he brewed up.

"I have a one o'clock appointment. My name in Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto stated to the woman at the front desk, the same woman he had talked to each time he had come.

The woman looked up from her computer screen and smiled lightly. "Ah, Mr. Uzumaki. Go ahead and have a seat with us and we'll call you back in just one moment."

* * *

Sasuke approached the three women that were typing away on computers. They were the women who made the appointments with the people who called in and also took calls to patients who called with questions about this or that.

They were simply nurses who took a round at a computer.

The one in the front who had been approached first snapped her head up quickly at the fast approaching young Uchiha. The woman slowly removed her headset before looking back up and gently smiled.

Sasuke resisted smacking his hands down on the desk before demanding who the blonde was seeing, but noting that would be a bit on the irrational side and he quicky opted to go for the sane approach.

"Is Naruto Uzumaki scheduled to come in today?" Sasuke asked still sounding a bit more demanding than he would have liked.

The woman blinked a few times and then her eyes addressed her computer screen before looking back up at Sasuke. "Yes, his appointment is in five minutes." Her brow began to wrinkle with confusion.

Sasuke nodded slowly, trying to seem casual, when it was all but not. "With whom?"

If Sasuke meant to say it through gritted teeth, he wasn't quite sure, but that's how it came out solely because he had a feeling he knew who.

"Well…with your brother…Mr. Uchiha."

Sasuke closed his eyes and exhaled slowly while mentally reminding himself he wasn't legally allowed to kill. "Thank you."

He said as politely as he could muster, but it came off as a rather rude tone.

Sasuke turned on his heel and made his way back to his office, where he was most positive, his elder brother was still lurking. If Itachi wasn't his boss, he would hit him on the grounds he was his idiotic brother.

Sasuke stalked down the hall, irritated and irate, but only towards one man; obviously not thinking clearly. The raven walked into his office to find his brother lounging in his office chair, his feet up on his desk, and his face buried in Naruto's personal file – still.

Sasuke slammed the door shut behind him. "Is this some type of joke? Or is this some type of sick way to get me over him? I can handle this myself!"

Itachi leisurely peaked one side of his face from behind the file with a bored look and rolled the one eye visible before disappearing once again.

"No, asshole, explain to me why in the hell you're seeing a patient you know damn well I'm attracted to!" Sasuke marched forward right before Itachi suddenly stood.

"Now see here, little brother. Maybe you should just think about some of those things before you keep marching your mouth into a dead end." Itachi raised a delicate eyebrow in hopes Sasuke would catch on.

But alas, Sasuke only gave his older brother a shake of the head with a scrunched-up and confused face.

"First off, becoming this 'involved' with a patient when you aren't even involved is a bit much. You are getting to be on thin ice considering you're stomping all over rules. Look how you're acting over this guy. You've taken personal days for not even being sick. I understand you're rather taken with him Sasuke, but if you don't get over this, it could be your job. Take him making an appointment with another doctor as s blessing in disguise. Also, you might want to think about that… he made the appointment, not me." Itachi stated before breezing past his brother and towards the patient room.

* * *

"Well Mr. Uzumaki, you're healing wonderfully. The soreness is regular, and it got worse simply because you started on the walking cast, and you're most likely pushing your leg too much. Try and rest the leg as much as possible."

Naruto nodded simply with a smile.

"As for the sinus infection, it seems it's cleared up beautifully. Seems like my brother worked his magic yet again." Itachi looked up form Naruto's file to see the blonde man staring down at his lap to hide a blush.

"Speaking of… I thought Sasuke was your new regular doctor, may I ask what happened?" Itachi figured he would ask; it couldn't hurt.

"Nothing, why do you ask?" Naruto rushed out hurriedly.

"Oh, well, Sasuke has been having some trouble with some of the patients at work and I just wanted to make sure he didn't cause any trouble with you as well." Itachi explained simply.

Naruto panicked thinking his plan backfired and he suddenly had gotten Sasuke fired.

"No, not at all! I just made an appointment with you because you had the first appointment available." It was the quickest thing he could come up with, and it was so good Naruto wanted to pat himself on the back.

"Ah, okay." Itachi wasn't buying it one bit.

With the man's panicked expression and darting eyes, his light blush, and constantly ruffling his own hair as a sign of a nervous habit; Itachi could tell Naruto liked Sasuke just as much as Sasuke liked him.

After what Sasuke had told him a few days ago, Itachi knew Naruto wasn't seeing Sasuke as a doctor so he could see him personally. Both of them didn't know it was on a more deeper level, they both thought it was more on a social 'let's-just-be-great-friends' level.

How foolish and oblivious they both were.

Itachi smiled gently before standing to shake Naruto's hand gently to make his leave.

"Just follow those instructions, and take these pills as needed, and you should be fine. If you have an emergency just come right back before we close or go to the Emergency Room. We close at 8." Itachi stated before abruptly walking out.

Naruto went to reply confusedly while looking up from his papers, but Itachi had already made his leave; hoping Naruto had caught on to his very obvious hint.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting at his desk downright irritated and somewhat depressed. Itachi had one critical point; Naruto had made the point. Itachi had made another point, and that was that Sasuke was becoming too involved with someone he really wasn't involved with. He was angry with his brother because the blonde had an appointment with him, and in reality, it was just jealousy raging its ugly head.

Sasuke couldn't help it.

Sasuke couldn't _understand_ it.

He still didn't understand why he was so attracted to the blonde in the first place, and here he was, yelling at his brother because the blonde was his patient for the day. How moronic. Itachi was right, he was being foolish.

Though, Sasuke really wanted to know why Naruto suddenly made an appointment with Itachi instead of the younger raven. Naruto had been seeing Sasuke the last few times, as if the blonde had made the younger Uchiha his regular doctor, and then suddenly he decided to see Itachi.

Sasuke rolled his coal eyes under pale lids at his ridiculous thought process and where it was leading. Would the blonde really be mad at him because he couldn't go out to lunch? It's not like it was that big of a deal; he wasn't being asked on a date. Maybe Naruto just-

"Well, he's very charming, I've said that before." Itachi stated from the doorway where he tended to stay lurking.  
Sasuke snapped around in his chair having been startled out of his thoughts. "You can spare me the nonsense of me being attracted to him. You know, I know, and we both know. End of story."

If Itachi was funny enough to hiss at his brother, he would have, but it wasn't his style. Instead, he opted for raising his slender left eyebrow at his little brother's tone and attitude.

"Don't blame me." It was a simple but fair statement.

"For what?" Sasuke snapped again before turning around and typing away on some file or another.

Itachi inspected his nails. "I'll leave you be. You're closing up shop tonight. Take your time, and check all the exits."

"What the hell are you blabbering on about?" Sasuke turned to face his brother to question his sobriety, but Itachi had already left to care to his next patient.

* * *

It was half-past-seven, and everyone had left except Sasuke. He was busy cleaning every little inch of the offices. Putting out fresh supplies, sterilized equipment, and checking every little nook and cranny to make sure there wasn't a speck of dust to be found. It sure beat filing.

This just meant more time alone at work, which was rare, and more overtime, which was too often. Why Itachi wanted Sasuke to close up and clean; the young raven still couldn't figure out. Itachi even took the liberty of sending the janitor home so any thought of asking for help was out of the question.

The part of checking all the exits really made Sasuke scratch at his head in question. Why check the exits? It made it sound like the older of the two was planning something foul and Sasuke would be at the receiving end of something deceitful.

Sasuke shook his head lightly before swiping his right forearm across his brow to knock off the access sweat that was forming from all the work.

Yet he was done, and not to mention early.

Sasuke walked into his office after dropping the cleaning supplies in their proper closet, and grabbing his brief case and doctors' coat that he threw over his forearm, before shutting off his desk light and headed towards the back exit.

Even though he didn't trust what his older brother had said; he was going to do it anyway.

Sasuke set the alarm panel before walking through the back door and looked around to find absolutely nothing. With a roll of his eyes and a light shake of his head, Sasuke set off towards the side exit to check that as well.

The raven reached the right side exit of the building in a matter of a minute, his face showing he was bored, but his heart was quickening for some reason unknown to even himself. Yet, nothing was there nor wrong with the site.

As Sasuke rounded the corner to the front of the office and the parking lot, his mind flickered of the idea that something would be wrong with his car, or perhaps the office. Instead, there was an extra car in the lot; one he didn't recognize from anytime before.

Sasuke slowly and unsurely started walking towards his car not aware of the pair of eyes that had just found him while he was too consumed with his own fears that someone might have been there to highjack him.

"Hey...Sasuke…!"

Sasuke whipped around, his eyebrows wrinkled up in a non-believing fashion before his eyes landed on the owner of the car. The only possible owner of the car.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" Sasuke questioned, but he already knew the answer as he began to walk back towards the office where the blonde man sat. Naruto was sitting on the concrete ground with his injured leg laid out in front of him, and the other bent up as an arm prop.

"Just Naruto…" The blonde replied. Formalities, Naruto felt, as if they were for old folks and business men, and he was neither.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" Sasuke's heart was beating twice as fast as it should have been as he finally got a foot away from the blonde which he deemed a smart place to stop.

The blonde shrugged and stared at the ground before he looked up, showing Sasuke those heart-stopping blue eyes he adored so.

"I just wanted to see you."

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I'm looking for a new beta. What happened to my old one is between her and myself. But, if you or anyone you know is interested; direct them to my profile.

I'm sorry I've been taking so long with updates, replies, and even e-mails. Life is crazy hectic right now and I hope people can understand.

Review please!


	6. Jump It

(Things are subject to change by the chapter

(Things are subject to _**change by the chapter**_. Keep an eye on the warnings and rating.)  
**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru/Sasu  
**Rating**: T – For Foul language and Suggestive Gay-ness  
**Warnings**: Nothing really bad; just the foul language.  
**Summary**: Our loveable little blonde has caught pneumonia. Our broody raven is his doctor. What happens when Naruto keeps playing hooky just to see Sasuke again, and what come out of these strange encounters, and what happens when Sasuke finds out?  
**Dedication**: Everyone who doesn't kill me, and everyone who left such loving and long reviews. You all rock.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own it, and if I did – if any girl did – there would be more boy sex.  
**Authors Notes**: Okay, I know, you people most likely thought I gave up on this fiction, and you people most like _forgot_ about this fiction. I've just been completely obsessed with ALLTF; it's taken over my life. So forgive me for the lag.  
**ALSO**: I'm sorry it's short again, but I didn't see a reason for such a LONG chapter this time. Plus, I think this fic might last around ten chapters or less. We'll see.

**Chapter 6** – Jump it

* * *

Sasuke stared and stared waiting for Naruto to correct himself, or really, ask Sasuke if there was anything the matter. The raven kept waiting for him to simply have dreamed up the statement, because really, it was too good to be true. Naruto, the man who had been haunting Sasuke's dreams, and making his work a living hell, was right in front of him; _wanting_ to see him.

"E-" Sasuke cleared his throat to clear away the sudden dryness, "excuse me?"

Naruto couldn't help but blush. "I…uh…well…"

"Why in the hell do you want to see me?" Sasuke sounded a little more irritated than astounded.

Naruto blinked a few times while being a bit taken aback before rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous habit.

"You said-" The blonde coughed into his hand while a wild blush spread across his face with the night luckily masking it, "my c-car won't start." Naruto fumbled out.

Sasuke blinked his eyes more than usual. "My…my brother didn't jump your car _hours_ ago when he was here? You've been sitting here this whole time?"

"Oh! No, no, no, no! I had left my wallet at the office and I had grabbed it just as the office was closing, but your brother said he was in a rush, and said you would be out shortly." Naruto desperately tried to force the embarrassed blush out of his face after the somewhat dumb sounding comment.

How desperate could you be to kill your own car battery?

"Oh…" Sasuke trailed off a tad unsure of what to say.

"So… can you jump me?" Naruto questioned.

"And what? Take your wallet? You mean jump your car?" Sasuke corrected.

"Ah, you're one of _those_ people." Naruto stated as he began to pick himself off the ground.

Sasuke reached his pale hand out, but not before wiping the nervous sweat off his palm, and began helping the injured blonde to his feet.

"What do you mean by that…? 'one of _those_ people'…" Sasuke mocked back with a furrowed brow.

Naruto locked on to Sasuke's hand as the raven yanked, and Naruto pushed off the ground and strained and grunted as he grabbed his crutches in his wake with a quick huff before dusting off his pants.

The blonde used the crutches after long days at work after walking on his foot all day in the walking cast, giving it the unwelcome pain that was sure to come.

"Oh. Well, you know…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck was one of his many nervous habits. "I see you as one of those people who're a perfectionist, who're always correcting people as much as they can. I just kinda think you need to loosen up a little… I mean, look at you."

"What the hell do you mean look at me!?" Sasuke countered.

"Christ, you aren't going to jump my car now, are you? No, man, just look how tense you are, and look how offended you got by that and you didn't even know what I meant. You care too much by what other people think. _Loosen uuuuupppp_." Naruto stressed.

"I'm not tense." Sasuke stated bitterly.

"Oh please. You're a doctor and you can't even notice how tense your shoulders and neck are. I can spot that shit from a mile away. You look like you are trying to touch your shoulders to your ears. Try relaxing for once."

"Nah, it doesn't work for me." Sasuke replied sarcastically with a glare, while silently noting that the blonde had taken in his neck and shoulders.  
Naruto laughed to the point he doubled over and grabbed his stomach, Naruto thought the raven's sarcasm was hilarious.

"Anyway, can you _jump my car_?" Naruto added emphasis on the correction.

Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes before he agreed. "Yes. I have jumper cables in my trunk."

The two started walking together, or really, Sasuke walked and Naruto hobbled next to his side.

"Should you really be driving with your foot like that?" Sasuke looked over slightly as Naruto swung his good foot.

Naruto attempted to shrug, but almost lost his balanced, and had to hop to keep his balance. "I don't really have a choice. I don't really have people to drive me around."

The raven tried to fight away the daydream of driving around Naruto, the two of them spending extra time together and perhaps getting better acquainted.

"_This_ is your car!?" Naruto was a tad floored.

Sasuke shook his head slightly, obviously not being able to stop himself from being able to drift away in thought. "Oh…Yes, it is."

"How can you say that so calmly? This thing is sweet!" Naruto pressed his face against the passenger side window, instantly smudging the glass and making Sasuke cringe.

"Well if it's so sweet, must you dirty it?"

Naruto pulled back quickly and began ruffling the back of his head, "Sorry."

Sasuke lightly shook his head while he pressed a tiny button on a small remote to trigger the trunk to pop open.

The raven leaned in and shuffled through random objects that had been placed in his trunk over time that he thought he would need, and didn't, but hadn't bothered removing.

Sasuke finally withdrew himself and the jumper cables from his trunk with a relieved sigh and slammed his trunk, which made Naruto jump.

"Alright, you take these, and I'll pull my car up next to yours." Sasuke said passing the cables to the blonde.

Naruto took the cables reluctantly with a slightly confused face. "Do you even know which car is mine?"

Sasuke raised a delicate left eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it's the only other car in the parking lot."

Naruto looked around, quickly noting that there was only two cars left, and by the elimination process, it really wasn't that hard to figure out. The blue-eyed-man began slowly making his way to his car as Sasuke climbed into his own, started his car, and quickly drove his car over to the beat up and worn out car that was Naruto's.Sasuke's mind quickly flashed with images of his job and how he might possibly be jeopardizing it, before he quickly shut off his car as well as the outlandish thought; he was helping a _patient_ – that's it.

Naruto was hopping up just as Sasuke was getting out of his car, the jumper cables where slung over his right shoulder, and his car keys were jingling from his mouth. Sasuke reached forward just as Naruto stopped a few feet in front on him, not really thinking, and took the keys out of his mouth like it was a natural everyday occurrence.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "I wore pants that don't have a lot of pockets, and I needed to put my wallet somewhere."

Sasuke gave him a sideward look biting back a sarcastic comment that he would usually share with his overly annoying brother. Sasuke reached forward and grabbed the jumper cables from the blondes shoulder; his gentle and soft hair ghosted the top of his hand and giving it a light tickle.

"Why don't you go ahead and sit somewhere while I do this? You're supposed to be technically resting that thing."

Naruto snorted, "It's called a foot, and you're off the clock, lay off the doctor stuff for five minutes."

Sasuke shrugged. "I can't help it."

Naruto started towards his car to sit in the driver's seat while Sasuke tried to hook the jumper cables up to his own car battery, Naruto popped his hood as well so Sasuke could hook the cables up to his battery as well.

"So…what made you see my brother?" Sasuke asked.

"Huh?" Naruto couldn't hear the raven as he hooked up the jumper cables to his car; his back to Naruto.

"I asked what made you see my – SHIT!" Sasuke jumped back as a spark came striking out; the raven connecting the cables wrong.

Naruto was leaning out of his car, wide eyed in shocked with his mouth wide opened, "Are you alright!?"

Sasuke was glaring at his car, his chest heaving, and the cables that he yanked away with him were still in his hand before he decided to throw them to the ground in spite.

"I'm fine." Sasuke said calmly, closing his eyes and calming his breathing.

"I thought you were supposed to be some smart doctor." Naruto commented with a stifled chuckle.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sasuke turned to the blonde, who was lifting himself from the seat of his car, and hopping towards the raven without his crutches.

"Well, it's pretty easy to jump a car. Simple stuff your parents or siblings can teach you, or maybe you picked up in an auto class. There is a certain order you have to do this in or you can turn yourself into barbeque." Naruto commented as he hopped till he practically fell into Sasuke's car.

Naruto scooped his left hand down to grab hold of the cable while his right hand continued to hold on to Sasuke's car. The blonde began hooking the jumper cable up like it was an everyday occurrence, not straining to clip on the cables to the batteries, and not having to think twice about what should go where first.

"You need to start your car." Naruto stated, breaking Sasuke out of a sort of trance he somewhat fell into as he had started watching the blonde, which drifted into another bout of drifting about he and Naruto as friends.

Sasuke stopped himself from shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, don't push it."

It was really the only thing he could think to say, instead, he felt like more of an idiot than if he had literally shaken out of his stupor. The raven climbed in his car, turning the key to start the engine, and letting the car run to give Naruto's battery some power.

Sasuke leaned out his car slightly, "How long do you think this is going to take?"

Naruto poked his wild blonde head out from under the hood, "Five…Ten minutes. Not too long. Why, are you going somewhere?"

Sasuke shook his head, "No, I was just curious."

Naruto's left eyebrow raised. "What, haven't you ever jumped a car before?"

Sasuke ducked back into his car instantly, a scowl instantly on his face, and instantly noticing that his heart was racing much against his own free will.  
The raven could hear Naruto begin hopping toward his side of the car, and his head instantly dropped back with a sigh; he wasn't going to let it go.

"Why do you have jumper cables then?"

Sasuke looked over, his head still lying back in a somewhat dramatic position. He simply shrugged, "I guess I have them for those just-in-case scenarios."

"Didn't you learn it in class?" Naruto said as he leaned on Sasuke's doorframe of the open door for support and much needed balance.

"What class? Survival of the fittest?" Sasuke sat up and gave the blonde a bit of an odd look with one eyebrow raised with one side of his lip somewhat curled  
up.

Naruto began to chuckle, "well, I learned in shop class. In middle school, we were going to make wooden cars and so my shop teacher wanted all of us to learn a little about real cars."

"Nice. You're all Nascar, aren't you?" Sasuke questioned with an air of carelessness, trying to desperately not look up at the blonde; Sasuke had flushed slightly from embarrassment of not knowing such a simple task.

"I know how to do more stuff than you." Naruto countered, barely. He sounded like a child instead.

"Well obviously, would you like a medal?"

"Food is good. I haven't eaten yet, and by the sound of your stomach, you haven't either." Naruto pointed into the car towards Sasuke stomach that had been growling since their meeting, which the raven immediately covered with his crossed arms.

"I already told you, I can't, you're my patient." Sasuke sighed while running his hand over his face.

It was much harder to say no while Naruto was staring down at him with a bright smile. Sasuke mentally swore he was losing it, and he blamed it on too much work. He couldn't understand how he could possibly be so attracted to this man. A man that just came into the office, and was now trying to force his was into his life.

How in the world could this happen?

"I'm not your patient anymore." Naruto said simply.

Sasuke's stomach tightened and jolted; seeing Naruto during his appointments was the _only_ time he could see him. If Naruto decided to go to some other office just because Sasuke refused to go out to eat with him, the raven would feel horrible.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible as he refused to look at him while his coal eyes darted around widely with his racing thoughts.

"I'm your brother's patient now. So you _can_ go out to eat with me. No excuses this time." Naruto smiled brightly making his eyes close.

"Are you serious?" Sasuke looked up completely caught off guard.

"Yeah." Naruto dragged out with his even brighter smile.

"Are you stupid?" Sasuke asked harshly, suddenly.

"Wait – what?" Naruto pulled back from the car with his face screwed up in confusion.

"I…Okay, sorry…" Sasuke ran a hand over his face, making his voice muffled. "Just because you switched to my brother doesn't mean I can suddenly hang out with you. You're still involved in the practice I work at."

Naruto gave Sasuke a blank expression. "You're serious? You people are that _serious_? Do you even have any friends?"

The raven gave the blonde a rather reproachful look.

"Fine, I'll just go to a different practice, to hell with you people being the best in town." Naruto shrugged it off lightly, another smile lightly blooming.

Sasuke's engine purred on lightly in the background, a few more minutes to pass yet, and Naruto's car soaking up the energy all-the-while.  
Sasuke's heart was pounding against his chest. There was a question biting at the back of his throat crawling to the tip of his tongue; causing his heart to pound and his stomach to tie in a mound of knots.

Sasuke looked up at the blonde, a hard glare set on his face, "why is it so important to you that we spend time together?"

Naruto's smile slowly faded, his eyes slowly fell, and his face quickly set to a hard stone face as what the raven asked him set in.  
Naruto's bright sky blue eyes were suddenly hard as he looked to his left toward their cars, pushing off of the frame of Sasuke's car, and limping – not bothering to hop – to check on the cars.

Sasuke leaned his upper body out of the car, squinting with his mouth slightly open, and feeling as if he was going to vomit from his heart pounding so violently as he tried to watch. The raven listened to the blonde grunt from the pain, his crutches had been discarded at his own car and obviously something had bothered him in what Sasuke had asked.

Sasuke watched as Naruto came limping into view, hobbling over towards his own car with one end of the cables in hand; the raven had no idea you could unhook jumper cables safely while the cars were still running.

Naruto gingerly unhooked the cables from his own car in order, his own heart skipping a few beats as he was a bit afraid the car wouldn't be charged enough to still run, but it kept lightly growling as the cables were unhooked; the hole in the muffler gave it a bit more of an intimidating sound.  
Naruto reached his lightly shaking hands up and gripped the hood of his car to slam it shut, bowed his head, and began limping back over to Sasuke's car once more.

Naruto reached Sasuke's car and one-handedly and swiftly slammed the raven's hood shut before reaching the still opened driver's side door where Sasuke was now standing at.  
The blonde put out his tan hands that held the jumper cables and held them out to the still stunned looking raven. Sasuke was trying to look in the shorter man's face to look for any kind of sign to tell him what could have just taken place, but his face was bowed and masked – nothing.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked as gingerly as possible, like he was talking to one of his child patients.

"That would be _Mr. Uzumaki_. I'm a patient, not a friend. No formalities, Dr. Uchiha." Naruto replied coldly, turning his burning face away from the handsome doctor.

Sasuke threw his head back towards the sky before letting it limply fall now noting he had still yet to take the jumper cables from the blonde. Sasuke reached forward and snatched them harshly away, causing the blonde to snap his head towards the raven just in time to see the doctor turning towards his trunk, making Naruto turn to make his own leave towards his car as well.

Sasuke suddenly spun on his heel, his arms held down and out by his side, "WHY IS IT SO DAMN IMPORTANT TO YOU!?" He bellowed suddenly, he just had to know.

Naruto instantly turned around as well, spinning on his injured foot on causing his knee to slightly buckle. The blonde wavered for a second before shouting back, "WHY IN THE HELL DOES IT MATTER!? I JUST WANT TO BE FRIENDS AND IT'S SUCH A BIG DAMN DEAL! WHO GIVES A FUCK THAT I WANT TO BUY YOU SOME FUCKING FOOD!?"

Naruto's chest heaved while his veins pulsed with anger as his heart hammered in his chest; this wasn't exactly how he pictured his grand scheme coming to a close.

The blonde whirled back around on his injured foot again without thinking; causing his leg to completely buckle to the pain this time, and causing Naruto to fall flat on his face in humiliation.

Sasuke shook his head lightly while mentally trying to settle his heart. The dark eyed man made his way slowly up to the blonde who seemed utterly defeated as he simply just laid there and now raised his hands to cover his blonde and unruly locks of simply beautiful hair.

Sasuke kneeled down next to the man who the raven could hear clear as day, was grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Come on, let's go." Sasuke said dryly.

Naruto's voice came out muffled and echoed off the asphalt as he still refused to move or face the raven after the humiliating incident. "You can go home all you want, _Dr. Uchiha._ I still have to wait with my car to make sure it doesn't die on my way home." Naruto's tone was far from sweet like ten minutes prior.

Sasuke sighed, "No, loser. To get something to eat. _Nothing_ sweet. I _hate_ sweet. If you take me to get something sweet, we will never hang out again – got it?"

**

* * *

**

Author's Notes

: I've been focusing _way_ too much on ALLTF. I've barely been writing this fiction of Bittersweet; and I have love for these two really I do. I'm going to start trying to do my rotations again to make sure I can get my fictions _actually_ done; especially since If Only and Bittersweet are not horribly long fictions. 


	7. Kiss Me, Complete Me

**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru/Sasu  
**Rating**: T – For Foul language and shounen – ai, the OOC-ness is flying in this chapter.  
**Warnings**: Nothing really bad; just the foul language and utter fluff.  
**Summary**: Naruto catches pneumonia, and is blessed with Sasuke being his doctor. Instantly being attracted to the stoic man, Naruto plays hooky to continue to see him. But some things don't always work as you plan.  
**Dedication**: Everyone who doesn't kill me, and everyone who left such loving and long reviews. You all rock.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own it, and if I did – if any girl did – there would be more boy sex.  
**Authors Notes**: This is the **last chapter**, but I'm going to write an epilogue to _really_ finish up the story and let you know what happened to them.

**Chapter 7** – Kiss Me, Complete Me

* * *

Naruto raised his head to stare at the gorgeous doctor who was smirking at him, and Naruto couldn't figure out if it was in an insulting smirk or a friendly one.

"Are you serious or are you just being a dick?" Naruto instantly questioned.

"Well, first off I'm serious, and second off I do think we need to get you off the ground."

Naruto rolled his eyes with a huff, and then began pushing himself off the ground, Sasuke instantly helping him while he pulled him lightly by the arm.

"Don't put anymore pressure on the foot, you've beat the damn thing up enough." Sasuke said walking over and grabbing the blonde's crutches.

Naruto began brushing off the little bits and pieces of odd things that had clung to his clothes while he eyed the raven in an unsure manner.

"Okay, what's the catch?" Naruto asked suddenly as he straightened up fully and took the crutches.

Sasuke sighed, "Well…I supposed you're right. It isn't a big deal, it is just food right? It's not like we're going on a date."

Naruto's face instantly flushed as he was secretly wishing it was, while Sasuke's heart fluttered at the thought that flashed through his mind.

"I…I really don't even know what the hell is open this late at night." Naruto admitted lightly realizing that it was true.

Sasuke flicked his wrist and stared down at his watch, "I don't know… I don't eat out that much."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I find that hard to believe."

The raven gave the blonde a rather dirty look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I just find you the type you can't cook to save your life."

Sasuke cleared his throat before he crossed his arms and looked away; refusing to look at Naruto due to the embarrassing blush that suddenly engulfed his face.

Naruto laughed lightly, "So I take it you order take-out more than the ordinary bachelor."

Sasuke looked back glaring, "No, more microwave meals, thank you."

Naruto began laughing so hard it got to the point he had to fully lean on his crutches completely for support while he clutched at his stomach.

"Then let's just go get a burger at some cheep place that's still open." Naruto finally choked out after he finished laughing at Sasuke, which actually caused the raven to smile.

"Like… fast food?"

"You give me some doctor spiel about it being bad for your heart and I'll hit you with my crutch." Naruto claimed as he raised his left crutch slightly and gave it a little wave.

Sasuke chuckled, "No, I was thinking more along the lines of Denny's. There's one right up the street."

Naruto gave the doctor a questioning look, "Denny's?"

"Yeah, haven't you been to Denny's? You know… 'Grand Slam Breakfast'." Sasuke used his fingers as quotation marks adorned with an eye roll.

"I haven't been since I was a kid. I didn't think there was one around here."

"Well…do you want to take my car considering it's not safe for you to drive in the first place?" Sasuke said staring over the blonde's shoulder to see Naruto's car desperately try to stay  
on.

"But how in the hell am I going to get home?"

"I can drive you." Sasuke sighed just wanting to get going.

Naruto instantly went to say something about being able to get to work but remembered Sakura and himself had to be there two hours in advanced for a manager meeting and he  
could easily ride with her. How he would explain to her about his car was simple, it died and he bummed a ride for the doctor.

"Okay, sounds good. But you sure I can't drive?" Naruto practically drooled in the direction of Sasuke's car.

"No! Geez, get your shit and get in." Sasuke rolled his dark onyx eyes as he pivoted on his foot and began walking towards his car.

Naruto hopped his way towards his car, swinging wildly in hopes it would help him go faster but instead he came a little too close to losing his balance. The blonde reached in and turned the car off at an awkward angle leaving Sasuke to give his waving butt an odd look.

Sasuke stood at his car door waiting for the blonde as he watched as Naruto withdrew himself from the hunk of so-called machinery after it sounded like it once again died after he simply shut it off. Time well spent.

Naruto turned and hobbled his way back to Sasuke with eagerness causing the raven to become edgy from the sight of Naruto almost slipping several times. Sasuke couldn't help but think getting involved – in anyway – with an obvious klutz was a bad idea.

Naruto yanked open the passenger side door before Sasuke even realized he was there, and tossed his crutches into the back and soon blushed after he heard a few small crashes.  
Sasuke's coal eyes turned to slits from his glare but his voice was steady, "Please, try and be more careful."

Naruto dumbly nodded, causing his lightly blonde wispy hair to fall across his forehead just the way Sasuke adored it and it instantly made him go rigid, "Come on."

Naruto practically dove into the car followed by a calm Sasuke whose mind was reeling with thoughts of what could and most likely happen, and what he wished would happen.  
The blonde fidgeted in his seat after struggling with his seat belt, Sasuke giving him an odd look out of the corner of his eye as he shoved the car in drive.

Naruto's heart seemed to have taken off with the car as it suddenly sped up, instantly realizing that this strange trip was in fact real, and he was finally going out to eat with the man he was so infatuated with.

The blonde wiggled more at the uncomfortable silence, never being silent for more than a few minutes before doing something to cover up the silence, and he began digging through Sasuke's cds as a topic of conversation.

"What type of music do you listen to?" Naruto grabbed at the carrying case at his feet that was bigger than his college notebook for his school work.

Sasuke's dark eyes lingered off the road for a fraction of a second not hearing what the blonde male next to him had said, "Oh, music."

"Yeah," Naruto snorted, "What…do…you…listen…to." He said slowly while he began unzipping the weighted down binder.

Sasuke shrugged, "Everything."

"Ew." Naruto simply replied without having opened the thing.

"What?" Sasuke's head snapped over to Naruto and away from the road, the look causing Naruto's breath to catch in his throat – not the action. It was the soft confused look perfectly adorned with his long dark bangs that made the man melt in his seat.

Naruto lightly shook out of his sudden reverie, "I just hate country."

Sasuke snorted, "Well, not everything. Do I really look the type to listen to country?"

Naruto looked up as the car slowed noting they had reached a stop light. "You don't look like you listen to anything fun."

Sasuke let out one of his deep laughs that Naruto knew was simply rare, and without being able to help himself, laughed lightly along.  
The blonde's tan hand pulled open the cd case gently suddenly being faced with classic rock covers that he hadn't even recognized.

"Who are these people?" Naruto's forehead creased with confused wrinkles.

Sasuke gawked more towards the road than at the blonde, his serious façade wearing dead around the male.

"Who are _these people_? Were you raised in a barn? What the hell have you been listening to for the past twenty-some years?"

Naruto sighed, "My mother enjoyed classical because it soothed her after a long day of work. My music life was very … small until I moved here for college."

"This, Naruto, is called _Led Zeppelin_." Sasuke said slowly like Naruto had done to him while his index finger dropped on a cd cover.

Naruto laughed, "I know who they are, but who is Deep Purple?" Naruto squinted at the cd as Sasuke pulled into the parking lot of the Denny's with a more stunned face than he knew he could make.

* * *

The two sat in the back of the non-smoking section with much to each other delight, the both of them deeply bothered by the smell. Naruto insistent on caffeine and Sasuke insistent on actually sleeping; ordered a cappuccino and a water.

Naruto instantly brightened as the waitress left, "Now, we were on music…" The three seconds of silence irritating him.

"And your closet case when it comes to it," Sasuke ran his right hand through his long raven bangs causing them to lightly flutter back down against his pale face making Naruto's throat dry.

"Well, then as a new friend, you should burn me some cds." Naruto grinned.

Sasuke snorted as he flicked open his menu, "I would be burning you cds for a damn fortnight, my friend. You need a lot of help in the music department."

"Sorry I'm not stuck in the seventies," Naruto mumbled as he flicked his menu open as well, pouting slightly.

"So what are you studying?" Sasuke asked suddenly after the waitress swiftly came to drop off their drinks and Naruto politely asked for more time.

"I'm sorry?" Naruto shook himself from drooling over a picture of pancakes.

"Tsunade said you're still in college, and so did you, what are you studying?" Sasuke asked seriously.

Naruto gulped, "I'm still in school because I just started a few years ago. I couldn't get things together out in California."

"California?" Sasuke questioned instantly interrupting the blonde.

"Yeah, I was born there. We – my mother and I - moved back and forth from California and Florida constantly. It was a hassle. My mom was in between marriages when I finally decided to leave because I was tired of supporting the both of us; if I wanted to go to college I wanted to stay in one."

Sasuke nodded slowly taking every drop of information in, "Good choice."

"So I moved out here with some old friends from high school that I was best friends with in Florida. I don't mind this place." Naruto said happily instantly thinking of Sasuke.

"Yeah, Virginia is a joy." Sasuke snorted, "It's gotten better though."

The blonde's heart fluttered in his chest at the last comment in some type of hopeful disillusionment.

"So, what are you studying?"

Naruto looked back up with wide blue eyes, Sasuke being sure as a doctor that it couldn't be healthy for his heart rate to fluctuate so much.

"I'm studying English with a minor in French at George Mason," Naruto smiled lightly.

Sasuke blinked more than usual, not seeing that combination at all especially from the male in front of him.

"I want to teach in France. It's this nerd dream…" Naruto tried to dismiss it with a joke.

"I would have pinned you for some other language," Sasuke said casually.

"You don't think it's weird?" Naruto instantly questioned while his hunt for food was instantly abandoned.

"No." Sasuke stated rather flatly, "Why would I think following your dream is weird? Do you think me being a doctor is weird?"

Naruto chuckled, "No, but that's how I met and know you."

The blonde silently thanked whoever put the idea of a medical filled future into Sasuke's brain.

"Well, technically this is how I'm getting to know you."

Naruto made some noise under his breath, "Smartass."

The waitress came back swiftly causing Naruto to jump back slightly in surprise, and it didn't help the fact he was too busy staring at the gorgeous doctor instead of his menu.

The blonde flashed a bright white smile while inclining his head towards Sasuke, "You first."

"The cheeseburger," Sasuke replied dully to the bubbly waitress.

The woman turned her face to Naruto after no other words came from Sasuke, "I'll have the biggest order of pancakes you can give me."

The woman smiled, waited one second longer and then headed off towards the next table on her route to drop the orders.

"So do you like living with your friends?" Sasuke tried to pick back up on conversation and soak in as much information as he possibly could, and perhaps try to lean towards Naruto's love life.

Naruto let a warm smile slip onto his face at the thought, "Yeah. Sakura can be a tyrant at home as well as work, but it's bearable. Hinata is so quiet half the time I sometimes forget she's there. I like it, but the estrogen can get overwhelming."

Sasuke chuckled, "You have guy friends I presume?"

"Oh yeah. I'd be dead without them. I made most of my friends through work. So what about you?"

Sasuke's forehead suddenly creased at the very sudden change in topic, "What about who?"

The blonde laughed out right causing a few people to turn and stare, but it made Sasuke smirk.

"What about you? Why are you a doctor?"

Sasuke leaned back against the hard cushion of the booth aware that it was now the blondes' turn to ask questions.

"My father I suppose," Sasuke shrugged, "He lost his license after writing off unnecessary prescriptions to friends of his."

The light bulb over Naruto's head suddenly lit up.

"My brother and I wanted to be a better doctor than he was, like a conquest I suppose; I just never knew I could fall in love with the career so much."

"I swear I won't ask for drugs," Naruto commented quickly.

It was Sasuke's turn to laugh, "Okay, that's good to know."

"Do you live with your brother?"

"Oh hell no," Sasuke stated almost choking on the water he began drinking.

Naruto's face cracked a smile, "Why not?"

"Oh are you serious?" Sasuke gawked, "I know he might come off as charming, but he is far from it. His favorite pass times are driving me up the wall and reading."

"So, do you live by yourself?" Naruto thought about the possibilities, and it was easy for Sasuke to afford such a thing.

"Yes, and your story made it that more enjoyable."

The blonde resisted the urge to raise his middle finger up to greet Sasuke's grinning face.

"So what about a girlfriend?" Naruto tried to ask as casually as he could, but he had a feeling his voice betrayed him.

Sasuke's heart jolted, "Nope, single. What about you? Or is that way too much estrogen for one man?"

Naruto chuckled, "It is too much."

* * *

The two left Denny's shortly after eating. Both men were trying to dissect the conversation, especially when it came to the part about being single. Both men tried to wrap their brains around the fact that the other man was downright gorgeous, charming, and damn near perfect – but still single. It was a headache to dissect.

"You need to tell me how to get to your house," Sasuke had reminded the blonde as he walked with him to the passenger side door. Sasuke swiftly opened the door while withdrawing the crutches safely out from under his arms so as to not have Naruto try and break something more in his car.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he flopped into the seat having forgotten completely that the gentle raven was driving him home and not back to his horrible car. The door gently shut before Naruto could turn to open his mouth and speak; completely unaware that Sasuke was already walking around to his side of the car before a real comment flicked across his brain.

The raven opened his door with a tug and gently put the crutches in the back, without any crashes this time around, and slid in his own seat with a relieved sigh.

Naruto glanced at his slightly drooping eyelids with a gentle smile, "Are you that tired?"

Sasuke started up the silent engine with a quick movement before giving Naruto a quick glance, "I have to get up at five in the morning everyday. I get tired around eleven at night pretty easy."

Naruto blinked more times than he should have as he barely registered that the car was moving. "_Five_ in the morning? Are you stupid?"

"No, just too dedicated for my own good." Sasuke chuckled lightly.

Naruto pointed towards an exit off of the main road instantly wanting to take the shorter way for the other mans sake, "Take that exit toward the highway."

Sasuke did as he was told, driving silently for a few minutes as he tossed the idea around of Naruto being single and possibly being gay. It was a dream that was highly unlikely and never coming true, at least, the part where they could possibly get together.

Naruto stared out the window before he realized it was too quite for his own mental sake, and turned back towards Sasuke who looked drowsier than before, which caused a feeling of guilt to weigh in on his stomach.

"I can drive if you're that tried," Naruto said softly, causing Sasuke's stomach to flip-flop.

Sasuke quickly regained his somewhat slipping composure, snapping out of his reverie, "That's why I'm driving you in the first place – aside your car – but you shouldn't be driving."

Naruto sighed still studying the man's face freely, "You just look like you're going to fall asleep and kill us both."

Sasuke's eyes flicked over from the road a little slower than usual and noted the blonde staring softly before he ripped his face away, Naruto blushing widely, and sending Sasuke's head reeling. Was he really just staring at him?

"You're going to have to take that off ramp there…" Naruto mumbled in hopes it would cover the embarrassment that was laced within his voice.

The other man did as he was told, suddenly alert with a mind filled with racing thoughts that just couldn't be true. The one soul question flicking across his mind more than others, and that question was could Naruto possibly be interested in him?

"Take a right at the stop light." Naruto quickly instructed as Sasuke sped off the off ramp only to be stopped at the fast approaching light.

Naruto began plotting his approach on the subject of getting together again, possibly in the day time when Sasuke wouldn't be falling asleep at the wheel, and – this part he refused to mention – when they could have more time together.

Naruto looked up quickly from his lap which he had taken to staring at when he felt the car turn right, "You need to take an immediate left!"

Sasuke flew by the turn into Naruto's neighborhood as he glanced back with a slightly shocked face, Naruto's forehead creasing.

"Do you always speed this much?" The blonde refused to look at the speedometer.

"I usually go faster," Sasuke replied coolly as he made a quick U-turn at the next light and sped back down the road.

Naruto began pointing frantically, "Right here, right here!"

Sasuke began chuckling, "I know, I know. Calm down and just tell me where to go."

Naruto began rambling off turns to get to the back of the small neighborhood of townhouses where his was located, and after the blonde yelled at him, Sasuke finally slowed down.

"We should be coming up on it…" Naruto was leaning forward, his eyes following the headlights of the raven's car until they landed on something unpleasant.

"Oh shit…" Naruto mumbled under his breath quietly, but Sasuke caught it.

"What's wrong?"

"My roommates…"

Sakura and Hinata stood outside of the townhouse talking to Kiba and Shikamaru, Sakura flailing wildly, and Naruto could already make out Shikamaru shaking his head from the far distance.

"What's wrong with your roommates?"

"They don't know where the hell I've been all night, they're probably worried." Naruto was silently feeling his pockets for his cell phone, but he already knew he had left it in his car  
once it had died.

Sasuke pulled up to the house to watch the heads turn and felt his heart sink, it was a quick end to such and enjoyable night. Naruto swiftly opened the door, a planned already formed in his brain, and he turned quickly to Sasuke for assistance.

"You don't mind helping a friend out, do you?"

Sasuke smiled lightly, causing Naruto to freeze momentarily as he heard his friends' race to the car, "Not at all."

"Where in the fuck have you been!?" Sakura's voice instantly ripped Naruto out of his daze.

"We were worried…" Hinata politely put in her input before taking a step back from the terror that was Sakura.

"I was with my doctor." Naruto interrupted coolly making Sakura freeze with her mouth hanging open.

Sasuke was already out of the car with crutches in hand, "Naruto was having some extreme discomfort with his foot and head. I just wanted to examine him to make sure there was no major damage."

"I thought you already had a doctor's appointment today?" Sakura instantly questioned.

"I did, but they were so overbooked I had to come back later." Naruto lied smoothly.

"And he ran into a little car trouble, so I hope you don't mind me bringing him home. His car is in the parking lot of the doctor's office." Sasuke's voice was cool and charming instantly melting Sakura's anger.

"Why didn't you call?" She whined slightly.

"I forgot my phone in my car after it died." It was technically the truth.

Sasuke passed Naruto his crutches politely, "I'll see to it he gets inside, I just have to go over a few more things with him if you don't mind."

Everyone took the hint, even Sakura even though she didn't understand why they didn't have enough time to discuss what ever it was on the way here.  
The group turned to leave giving a few last glances over their shoulders before departing into the house and leaving the front door open in a welcoming manner for the lingering blonde.

Naruto gave Sasuke a sly grin, "You've done that before, haven't you?"

Sasuke shook his head just the blonde liked, "Not exactly."

"Well I give you credit, you're an instant pro." The blonde leaned casually against the closed door having already exited in his time arguing with his irate roommate.

"I do see what you mean by tyrant though…" Sasuke was looking towards the house with a blank look that caused Naruto to sputter out a laugh.

"What?"

"Want to hang out again in the daytime, when you aren't ready to pass out?" Naruto asked before he lost his nerve. He felt like he was asking more for a date than just the usual hanging out.

"Naruto…" Sasuke instantly began with that disapproving voice that made Naruto's heart plummet.

"I'm not going to ask you for drugs, I'm not going to see you on a regular basis, I'm not going to harass you at work, I'm not going to be the guy that asks for money-"

"Naruto…" Sasuke's eyes went wide in a frantic plead for the blonde to shut up.

"I won't steal anything, I won't-"

Sasuke clasped his hand over the blondes' mouth causing Naruto to go rigid from the contact, the raven closer than he had actually realized – Naruto could make out the odd tint of blue in his hair more vividly than ever.

"I think I get it," Sasuke finally spoke after a moment.

Naruto flailed his arms, his words coming out muffled as he obviously tried to yell at the man in front of him, and Sasuke merely raised a delicate brow before Naruto ripped his hand off.

"Can't we just go out together then?" Naruto gasped at his mixed up words, his inner wishes mixed with his pleading thoughts.

"What?" Sasuke paused as if he heard some type of miracle fall from the sky.

"You know what I mean," Naruto tried to recover gracefully, "Go out and hang together. Two guys being guys." Instead he sounded like a jackass.

Sasuke felt his face fall slightly, and Naruto turned his head hoping the other man wouldn't notice the embarrassing blush mixed with the slightly hurt look that covered his face.

"I don't think I can." Sasuke decided suddenly, as much to himself as it was to Naruto.

Naruto's head snapped back, "What? Why?"

Sasuke sighed, running his hand lightly thought his hair. "It's complicated."

"I think I understand not being able to socialize with your patients." Naruto growled.

"No, Naruto, it's not even that. My stupid damn brother was right. I'm becoming too involved with a patient before I even get involved," Sasuke said with severe frustration.

"What?" Naruto was more confused than when he watched Spanish soaps with Sakura.

"I _like_ you, you fucking idiot." Sasuke deadpanned.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat right around the time his felt his heart skip more than one or two beats; he had to of heard him wrong.

"I like some straight man that is dead set on being best buddies. Do you know how stupid that is? Do you know how _insane_ that is?" Sasuke ranted.

"Well Sasuke-" Naruto tried to interrupt.

"Do you know fucking hard it would be to be around you all the time with this infatuation lingering in the back of my mind and all you want is a friendship. Do you understand now?"

Naruto collected every ounce of courage he had bottled up for the past twenty-five years and let it all come tumbling out of his mouth in one sentence.

"Did you ever think that I might like you too?" Naruto swore that if his face burned anymore, that he would actually manage glow in the dark.

"Do you know what type of _like_ I'm talking about here, Naruto, because I'm not joking?" Sasuke stated flatly, his mind blank and his words coming before he thought.

"I'm not fucking stupid, Sasuke." The blonde spat.

"You're serious?"

"Yes I'm serious. You really think I came to the doctor's just because?" Naruto hissed.

"You made those appointments to see me?" Sasuke's heart fluttered.

"Aside getting hurt, that was a lucky damn fluke… to some extent. You were even the so called genius doctor who said I wouldn't get sick, and guess who walked in with a cold after harassing his sick friend. You really think I wanted to get a physical!?" Nauto's face flamed once more from recalling the incident.

Naruto could swear that Sasuke could hear his heart pounding from just a few feet away, and Naruto swore that he was going to pass out any second from the sudden surge in stress and heart rate.

Sasuke swallowed air; the gulp had to be audible, as he took a step forward in a momentary lapse of sanity. Naruto's head that had taken to bowing to stare at the ground suddenly snapped up, his ocean blue eyes a mix of emotions as he stared at the approaching doctor.

Silence wrapped around them as it seemed to take Sasuke years to take two steps forward and come toe to toe with the still red blonde.

"You aren't messing with me?" Sasuke questioned boldly.

Naruto's voice on the other hand could only come out simply a whisper, "Nope."

Sasuke leaned forward eagerly, not caring about the reaction and just wanting to enjoy the single solitary moment. Sasuke leaned his face in, instantly placing his hand on the car behind the blonde, and lightly touching his lips to Naruto's. Naruto froze, feeling a somewhat electric current spark up his spine from the temporary contact before he noticed Sasuke had pulled away.

The raven was searching Naruto's eyes, trying to figure out his face – both for any type of negative or positive emotion. The blonde could only manage utter shock.  
Sasuke pulled his face away more, noticing he was still leaning forward in the blonde's face, and snapped his hand from the car as if he was burned by the metal. The raven ripped his coal eyes away from the still shocked blonde, as if he walked away, it would end his infatuation that had taken over his thought process since Naruto had walked into his life.

Naruto's hand snapped out and grabbed at Sasuke's arm that was falling limply to his side, the shock finally faded. Sasuke's forehead crinkled with slight confusion while his stomach knotted with hope.

Naruto suddenly tugged at his arm, pulling him back towards him rougher than he anticipated. Sasuke's face connected roughly with Naruto's causing them both to snap back slightly, rubbing newly sore parts of their face; Naruto rubbing his forehead and Sasuke rubbing his nose.

The raven began to chuckle while Naruto glared, "It's not funny."

Sasuke bent back down, connecting his lips with Naruto's once more. This time Naruto was prepared, pressing back with the force of impatience and need. They both had been wanting this seemingly impossible kiss to happen for far too long.

Naruto pulled back slightly, his lips moving against Sasuke's as he spoke with his eyes still closed, "Let's forget the rules for just this once?"

Sasuke ran his free hand through Naruto soft, blonde wispy hair freely with an audible sigh of enjoyment. "I never thought you'd ask."

Naruto instantly leaned forward to greet Sasuke halfway in his own eagerness to finish their never ending kiss.

* * *

Author's Notes:  
I never intended for this fiction to go on forever. I just wanted a nice fiction that ended cutely – with no butt sex. I'll have the epilogue posted fairly soon (in a week or less – if my computer holds), and then I'll post it as 'Complete'.


	8. Epilogue: Follow the Red String

**Epilogue**: Follow The Red String

**Title**: If Only  
**Author**: myfailsafe (But please… call me Nevi.)  
**Pairings**: Sasu/Naru/Sasu  
**Rating**: I have know clue... K+? Maybe?  
**Warnings**: Complete and utter fluff, just as I intended.  
**Summary**: Naruto catches pneumonia, and is blessed with Sasuke being his doctor. Instantly being attracted to the stoic man, Naruto plays hooky to continue to see him. But some things don't always work as you plan.  
**Dedication**: Who stuck with this fiction from when I originally thought of it a long, long time ago. Thanks, and cheers to the next finished fiction.  
**Disclaimer**: I still don't own it.  
**Authors Notes**: We are officially finished, and I thank you all. Curtain call.

**Epilogue: **Follow The Red String

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,  
regardless of time, place, or circumstance.  
The thread may stretch or tangle,  
but it will never break."  
- an ancient Chinese belief

* * *

Naruto rolled over in his bed, smacking the warm empty side of the bed beside him in hopes to find a person, but was met with disappointment. The blonde raised his head with his hair in its regularly messy position and his face screwed up in confused.

Naruto rubbed his eyes with his free left hand trying to rid away the blurred vision from his waking slumber to try and check the time on the bedside table, but was greeted with a string attached to his finger. Naruto yanked away his hand from his face to glare at the tiny bright red thread in utter confusion. The blonde rolled over on his back to free his other arm and hand so he could remove the suddenly annoying object, but suddenly realized – as all the fog of sleep had left him – that there was a note attached just below his hand on the thread.

Naruto yanked the small slip of paper off in hopes the thread would rip, but he head the paper rip instead, and he felt his mouth fall into a frown.  
Naruto opened the note to be met with Sasuke's neat scrawl,  
_  
'Follow Me.'  
_  
Naruto looked back towards the bedside table to glace at the clock; Sasuke should have been at work for three hours now and Naruto himself had to be in at one in the afternoon.  
Naruto shrugged against his pillow thinking it was probably something downstairs, like Sasuke skipping work again so they could go on a date. The blonde rolled his bright blue eyes as his heart jumped in his chest absolutely loving the side of Sasuke no one knew existed – it enthralled him. Naruto rolled out of bed, rolling over Sasuke's side as custom, and cringed when his bare feet met the cold hardwood floor. Naruto shivered and jumped back into bed, wishing his robe would instantly fly to him and damning himself for the habit of sleeping in his boxers.

The blonde male rolled himself over twice, instantly turning the covers into a cocoon while leaving his hand exposed so as to not lose his new mystery trail. Naruto was instantly met with his robe laid across his usually empty bedside table, another note gently folded across it.

Naruto's free tan hand quickly shot out from underneath the giant comforter to grab the small piece of paper already knowing whose writing would be tucked inside.

'_Get up, NOW.'_

A small chuckled escaped the blondes lips at the written command, wondering absently what would happen if he might disobey. Naruto's blue eyes rolled just as his body did, once again being careful of the tiny minuscule thread as he ripped back the sheets and jumped up to grab his robe. Naruto slid in his long, slender right arm quickly relishing in the warmth of the fleece robe before he paused as he stared back down at his left hand with a glare that mirrored Sasuke's.

Naruto lightly pulled the thread that looped around his finger off gently, quickly shoving his left arm through the limp sleeve, and then struggle to replace the string on his finger – seven minutes if his clock wasn't playing tricks on him.

The blonde let a relived sigh escape his lips after putting on a thick pair of socks that were left under the robe and mentally noted to thank Sasuke for thinking of everything.  
Naruto finally made his way out of his room, gathering the thin thread as he went – pulling it up into his left hand while blindly feeling around with his right – mentally noting to punch Sasuke for using such a thin thread.

Blue eyes landed on yet another note attached to the thread as he reeled it in, and in his eagerness and haste, promptly ripped it off and unfolded it.

'_Naruto,  
Do you remember when we first met?'  
_  
Naruto instantly recalled the somewhat odd obsession with his gorgeous doctor and the obscene lengths he went to in order to see him. Though, the first encounter was still but a flicker, Naruto's memory having been mostly burned up from the fever, as he remembered the pneumonia incident. When Naruto would ponder back on it, he could instantly hear Sakura's demands to go to the doctor, and without his overly pushy roommate, he wouldn't have been fated with such a thing. Sure, Naruto could only remember tiny bits and pieces, but each where a part of their beginning, and without a beginning, you have absolutely nothing.

Naruto smiled lightly, not understanding where Sasuke was exactly going with this whole scenario, but lightly folding the piece of paper and tucked away in his pocket. Naruto proceeded down the long narrow hallway, already spotting the next paper and quickening his paces, reeling it in, and ripping it open.  
_  
'Naruto,  
Do you remember our first kiss?'_

The blonde clearly felt his eyebrows draw together at such an odd and out-of-the-blue question, but none-the-less, he remembered it vividly. It was four years ago to this very day, outside of Naruto's old townhouse. The blonde remembered pursuing Sasuke, waiting outside of his work, and actually arguing with him about going out to eat. At the end of the night, it turned into an awkward turn of events – both admitting their true feelings.

The kiss, Naruto remembered, was simply amazing; that is till his two roommates and two best friends' crashed the party. Naruto pressed his index finger and thumb on his eyes at the suppressed memory. The four of them having been pressed up against the glass watching intently, and after giving the two of them a moment to kiss, immediately burst through the door with choruses of 'I knew it' and 'who knew'. Aside the fact that Naruto wanted to kill four people that night, he never forgot the first kiss shared between them. It was unforgettable. Sasuke should know that.  
_  
'Keep going.'  
_  
Naruto shrugged slightly, even though he expected some type of comment or another, but just enjoyed something to do while he was stuck in the house by himself. The blonde rounded the corner of the hallway before the steps and found another piece of paper and quickly scooped it up.

'_Naruto,  
Do you remember our first official date?'_

The blonde audibly groaned as the embarrassing memories flooded him like a broken water main. He remembered it alright. Sasuke and himself were dating secretly for two months – it being completely Naruto's idea – when Sasuke wanted to treat Naruto to an actual date. The blonde, never having been on a real date before, made too many mistakes for himself to recall.

Sure, it was out of sheer nervousness that he panicked when Sasuke originally asked him, and called him an idiot, but Naruto whet above and beyond to hide their relationship so Sasuke could keep his job. Then, Naruto had put on his shirt backwards and forgot to button and zip up his pants, which left him to protesting the date for two hours in his bathroom; Hinata and Sakura helping Sasuke to coax him out. When they finally got to the restaurant, Naruto found out they were late for the reservation – which he didn't realize it was that type of place, and felt like a jerk. Naruto then proceeded to manage to spill wine, steak sauce, and ice cream on the ever cool Sasuke; Naruto wanting to die with each passing moment.

They ended up having to rent a movie instead of catching one due to their tardiness and now Sasuke's wrecked attire. In the video store, Naruto had managed to knock down a stack of movies when the raven swiftly kissed him on the cheek, and the first public display of affection caused the blonde to lose any balance he had remaining.  
It was a _long_ night for Naruto, only to fall asleep as soon as they got to Sasuke's; the movie rental experience completely unnecessary.  
_  
'Keep Going.'_

Naruto let out a sigh of relief, not wishing to recall the embarrassing moment any longer, and trying to take a mental note of punching the raven in the face. The blonde stated the next morning what had taken place was never to be spoken of again.

Naruto trotted half-way down the stairs, already being greeted with another piece of paper sliding into his hands, and a smile growing on his lips.  
_  
'Naruto,  
Do you remember when I told my brother?'_

Naruto felt his stomach churn at the unpleasant memory. Sasuke finally wanted to tell his older brother noticing the relationship getting too serious too ignore, and hiding forever was unacceptable. Despite all the protests made by Naruto, the raven marched into work and quit outright with no explanation as to why. Naruto remembered feeling completely guilty the entire time his brother had been gone on vacation, and blew off Sasuke unintentionally, while he tried to get his mood back in order.

The older raven eventually made his way over to the blondes' house and barged his way into his room – brother in tow. Itachi was more shocked that Sasuke had quit than the two were together; he was more relieved at the fact. Itachi was pleased that all of his meddling finally paid off, and if they had kept anything like that from him again, he was going to fire Sasuke – instantly. As a result of their secrecy and Sasuke's urge to quit, the younger raven had to put in twice the hours he normally did till his older menacing brother saw fit, which was just around the time he was about to drop dead from exhaustion.

The blonde folded the paper up with the others, placing them in his pocket, not even needing to know what else it said; he continued down the steps.  
At the bottom, instantly another tiny piece of paper snapped to his hands, though this one was red, and Naruto knew it was either extremely bad or extremely good.  
_  
'Naruto,  
Do you remember the first time I said I Love You?'  
_  
Naruto breath caught unexpectedly in his throat. It was a random night like any other. They had spent their day off together like they usually did, and they did pointless things. Went to a fast food place, went window shopping, went to the movies; ate up the time together. They returned to Sasuke's place like usual, always eager to avoid Naruto's roommates and friends, and went to settle in to just simply sitting together and watching some pointless television.

Naruto could see the scene playing out in his head as he recalled it, clear as present day, and shut his eyes in hopes it would make the blurry lines and hazy voices clearer.  
_  
Naruto spun around on his heel to look at Sasuke, a light smile playing on his lips not being able to help himself; the day had been plainly wonderful. It was full of odd sporadic moments of laughter, jokes, and the ever popular moments of making Sasuke glare at some comment or another. There was never a dull moment and a smile never left their faces.  
Sasuke's smile, though, was finally gone as he stared slightly down at Naruto; his coal eyes twinkling with something the blonde couldn't quite figure out._

"Are you okay?" Naruto could feel his forehead wrinkle with worry and confusion, Sasuke's happiness had left so quickly.

"I need to get something off my chest."

Naruto felt a sudden burst of anxiety fill his stomach, felt his heart jump wildly in his chest, and felt his hands begin to quiver. Wasn't that the line that everyone uses before breaking up?

"I love you, Naruto."

Naruto panic attack quickly escalated, and his breathing became erratic and his eyes watering, his hands shaking even more.

Sasuke's brow began to crease at the blonde's reaction his hands instantly shooting out and the doctor instincts instantly overriding any other thought process.

"Naruto, what's wrong? You need to tell me what's wrong," Sasuke guided the blonde instantly to the couch, sitting him down and trying to find the source of his strained breathing and his sudden tears.

"You're crazy! That's what!" Naruto shouted irrationally causing Sasuke's head to snap back and his eyes to widen.

"How in the hell can you be in love with me? Are you writing yourself prescriptions of drugs or something you insane son-of-a-"

Sasuke began chuckling, wrapping his arms around Naruto's slightly shaking frame as he did so, and held him tightly.  
  
Naruto held the note in his hand a moment further; remembering that it was the first time anyone had ever told him they loved him. No one had ever uttered those three life changing words, not even his mother. Naruto remembered sobbing after that, retuning the words repeatedly, and Sasuke not being able to help himself, chuckling a lot.  
The blonde shoved the note into his pocket and before he could take another step, the next one was in his hand with one light tug, and he yanked it open excitedly.  
_  
'Naruto,  
Remember when I asked you to move in with me?'_

Naruto let a laugh escape his lips this time, recalling the memory. The blonde had spent the night for a week straight, and by that point, he already had his own side of the closet and bed since he stayed there so much in the first place. Sasuke returned from work to find Naruto already there having come through the unlocked back door, and finally, without the romance Naruto thought came with the question, asked Naruto is he wanted to move in.

The blonde was in within a week, and even though they had moved since then, the place held some of his fondest memories.  
Naruto rounded the corner with the thread as his guide, picking up another piece of paper before entering the living room.  
_  
'Naruto,  
Will you create one more time stopping memory with me?'_

The blonde pulled his head back from the paper and observed from a bit of a farther look, rolling the question around in his head. It didn't make much sense considering the fact that they had created every memory known to man together, it was hard to create any more; it would just be repeating things. If Sasuke made one more comment about Naruto becoming his nurse though - then Naruto was going to deck him in the face.

Naruto finally wondered in the living room, paper still in hand and a questionable look still playing on his face.

"You haven't figured it out?" Sasuke's voice questioned from the middle of the living room.

Naruto looked up with a suddenly warm smile that Sasuke always caused, his eyes raking over the raven. Sasuke was wearing the sweater the blonde loved to see him in so much; a black turtle neck number with long sleeves that brought out Sasuke's eyes. His raven hair had been extra taken car of today, every hair placed specifically in each place, none covering his face – but framing it. He was wearing regular jeans, the ones that Naruto bought because the blonde said he needed to branch out in style, and they were his only pair. Naruto saw that his hands were clasped behind his back hiding something.

The blonde gave him a quizzical look, "What's going on?"

"So you haven't figured it out. Can you be anymore blonde?" Sasuke asked teasingly.

"I just want to know what brought all this on, doesn't mean I haven't figured this out!" Naruto waved the small slip of paper with a lie.

"I needed to get something off my chest," Sasuke quoted directly with a shrug, his hands still clasp behind his back.

"What, are you trying to make me cry again?" Naruto asked as he blushed lightly.

"No, but…" Sasuke closed the gap between them, his face serious and Naruto's heart speeding up at the sight.

"Have you ever heard the tale about the invisible red string?" Sasuke questioned lightly, eyeing the blonde with soft coal eyes.

"No…never," Naruto's thumb instinctively rubbed the string that was latched on to his ring finger.

"It's said that when two people are destined to meet, there will be a piece of red string binging them together. It will _never_ break." Sasuke held up his left hand from his back, the red string tied to his own.

Naruto's serious side panicked, "It's not invisible."

"I wanted to show you that I've searched high and low for someone I can share my life with, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding it. It should never be invisible."

Naruto's heart drummed against his ribs, the blonde feeling the familiar sensation of fainting creeping up on him.

"What I'm getting at, Naruto," Sasuke pulled his right hand from behind his back, a small little jewelry box in one hand.

"I swear, if you even utter those words, I will beat you." Naruto muttered, shaking, and already tearing. Sasuke was the only one who knew how to work his tear ducts to the fullest potential.

Sasuke immediately rearranged his words, every step taken as if he expected it, but he just simply knew Naruto like the back of his own hand.

"Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Why in the world do you see the need in making me cry?" Naruto choked out, not bothering to answer the question leaving Sasuke to stand there with box in hand and feeling a tad awkward.

"Uh, Naruto…"

"You're so crazy. First, you like me, then you kiss me, then you date me, then you love me, then you live with me, and now you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" Naruto squeaked.

Sasuke nodded, still holding out the box, "Of course."

Naruto looked up at the still calm man with teary eyes before he jumped forward, latching his arms around his neck and holding the raven tightly. Sasuke had to scramble to hold on to the small little jewelry box that almost flew out of his hands once Naruto pounced, but he regained it splendidly.

Naruto pulled back, his hands still clasped around the other mans' neck, "Yeah, I will."

Sasuke smiled lightly, holding back his own joy, "Good to finally know."

Sasuke retracted one arm, the one that still held the small little box, and opened it for the blonde. Naruto grabbed the gold band before Sasuke had a chance to react, and slid it on his ring finger, not removing the string.

Their lips finally met in the longest moments they shared. Silk against clouds as they embraced in a moment of complete bliss and total elation. Sasuke was the first to pull back, pressing his silky lips onto Naruto's cool forehead, his free right hand breezing through the blonde locks like he so loved to do.

Naruto looked down at the new band that fit perfectly on his finger as it winked up at him, before looking back up at Sasuke who was still smiling warmly.

"How long have you been planning this?" Naruto asked genuinely curious, vaguely noting he now needed to get Sasuke an identical band.

"Since the day I said 'I love you'."

* * *

Author's Note: I didn't want any naughty stuff in here; I wanted it to be so fluffy my chinchillas were jealous. So I successfully wrote another fiction, and without the need of sex. On to the rest!


End file.
